


X-Men: Guardians

by Bad_Coffee



Category: New Mutants, New X-Men: Academy X, X-Force (Comics), X-Men (Comicverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bigotry & Prejudice, F/M, Falling In Love, Friendship, Guardian-Ward Relationship, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-02
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2020-04-06 11:33:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 106,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19061797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bad_Coffee/pseuds/Bad_Coffee
Summary: Storm recruits a new team of X-Men to protect the Jean Grey School after the Millennium War. Cannonball leads Boomer, Warpath, Wolfsbane, Siryn, Wrath and Cypher against the Reavers and other threats to the school. Meanwhile Mirage struggles to find her place after losing her powers and to accept Wolfsbane's relationship with Wrath, a natural born Peak Human.





	1. Coming Home

Disclaimer: Marvel owns everything here except Wrath.

A/N: An alternate version of the X-Men and X-Force from Earth 730.

Apocalypse has been defeated, but the Millennium War has cost the X-Men dearly.  With the Xavier Institute reduced to ashes and only two surviving psychics, the X-Men have been forced to relocate to the X-Force base in Dallas Texas. Headmistress Storm is preparing to open a new school for young mutants in the hope of salvaging Xavier’s dream and uniting the teams, but the growing conflict between Cannonball’s X-Force and Cyclops’ X-Men has put the future in jeopardy.

This Issue:

X-Force: Sam Guthrie-Cannonball, Tabitha Smith-Boomer, Theresa Cassidy-Siryn, James Proudstar-Warpath, Rahne MacTaggart-Wolfsbane

X-Men: Ororo Munro-Storm, Katherine Pryde-Shadow Cat, Scott Summers-Cyclops, Emma Frost

Faculty Members: Danielle Moonstar-Mirage

Students: Sophia Mantega-Barrett-Wind Dancer, Josh Foley-Elixir, David Allen-Prodigy

 **X-Men - Guardians # 1:** **Coming Home**

 **Dallas-Ft** **Worth International Airport**

“Dani! Sophia! Over here!” Kitty yelled as Danielle Moonstar and Sophia Mantega-Barrett emerged from the airport’s baggage claim area.  Danielle had accepted Ororo’s offer to become a teacher at the new Jean Grey School for mutants.  She’d been away at college for over three years since she lost her powers, but now she was home again and she’d brought Sophia with her to enroll.  Kitty didn’t know all the details, but she knew Sophia had lost her mother and didn’t get along well with her father so the school was going to be her home now.

“Hey Kitty!” Danielle exclaimed as they hugged each other.  “I almost didn’t recognize you with that haircut, it looks good on you.” She told her.  She and Kitty had often disagreed and constantly competed with each other when they were younger, but they’d both grown up now and Danielle was happy to see her after such a long absence.

“ Thanks.” Kitty said as they walked out to the parking lot.  Her formerly long brown hair barely reached the collar of her shirt now, but Danielle was right, it was a good look.  Danielle hadn’t changed much at all; she still dressed in her familiar western style with Native American jewelry and her long black hair flowed down her back.  Sophia was a pretty sixteen year old with skin a little lighter than Danielle’s and hair the same color as Kitty’s.  She was well dressed and it was clear her father could give her everything, except love and understanding. 

“Sophia, this is Katherine Pryde, the X-Men call her Shadow Cat.” Danielle said as she introduced her young friend.

“Nice to meet you.” Kitty said. 

“Wow, I’ve heard a lot about you.” Sophia said admiringly.  “You’re the one who broke into the Pens and stopped Mr. Sinister right?” She asked.

“Yeah, but that’s really not something I like to talk too much about.” Kitty told her.

“I’m sorry.” Sophia said.  She’d read about how horrible the Pens were and she knew she shouldn’t have talked about it.  Kitty was probably still traumatized by what she’d seen and Sophia felt bad now.

“Hey, it’s ok.” Kitty said reassuringly.  There was no way for Sophia to understand what she’d had gone through in the war and Kitty didn’t hold it against her.  Besides, Kitty had been just as guilty of hero worship when she’d first arrived so she tried to be as gracious as Jean and Ororo had been.

“Yeah…so how have things been?” Danielle asked awkwardly.  There was nothing she could have done without her powers, but she still felt really guilty that she hadn’t been there to fight beside her friends.  New York City and much of the northeast had been devastated and the Xavier Institute had been completely destroyed. 

“Bad, we lost almost everything when the Institute burned and rebuilding hasn’t been easy.” Kitty said. The state of New York had placed so many new regulations on the school that they couldn’t have rebuilt it in Westchester even if they’d had the money.  If it weren’t for Forge’s generosity and the state of Texas allowing them the freedom to operate, they’d all be homeless and kids like Sophia wouldn’t have anywhere to call home either.

“Ro’s doing a good job as headmistress, but it’s just not the same without the professor.” Kitty told her.  “She’s trying to bring everyone back together, but Scott fights with Sam all the time and now the teams don’t like each other; I don’t know what we’re going to do.” She sighed.

“I’m sorry; I wish I’d been there.” Danielle said as they finally arrived at Kitty’s car.

“There was nothing you could have done _then_ , but you’re here now and that’s what matters.” Kitty said.  “We’re going to have about fifty kids this first semester so Rahne and I could really use your help.” She admitted.  Kitty was an instructor now and Rahne was a teaching assistant so they were both really busy trying to prepare for the grand opening in a few weeks.

“Where _is_ Rahne?” Danielle asked as they pulled out of the parking lot and headed for the interstate.  She’d expected Rahne to come meet her at the airport and she was hurt that she wasn’t there to greet her.

“She wanted to be here, but X-Force got a lead on the Leper Queen and they went after her.” Kitty explained.  X-Force had carried out several raids against the Sapien League over the past few months and they’d decimated the terrorist group.  The commanders had all been captured and turned over to SHIELD or killed, but the Leper Queen was still on the run.

“I still can’t believe she’s involved in that.” Danielle said.  She was really worried about all her former teammates; the media had labeled them terrorists and she was afraid they’d all be sent to prison if they got caught.

“Believe it; the war changed all of us.” Kitty said. “But don’t worry, she’s a lot tougher than you remember.” She added, trying to reassure her.  Danielle wanted to believe that, but she still remembered Rahne as an insecure girl who hated being a mutant and was scared of powers.  Danielle knew it wouldn’t do any good to worry so she tried to make small talk with Kitty to take her mind off the mission as they drove to the school.

**Akron Ohio**

_“Jamie was right, they’re all here.”_ Wolfsbane whispered into the radio as she hid in the rafters of the old warehouse where the Sapien League fanatics were assembling their massive truck bombs.  Multiple Man had sent one of his duplicates to infiltrate the Sapien League and he’d called X-Force the moment he’d discovered Leper Queen’s evil plan.  X-Force had tracked them to an old warehouse in Akron and Wolfsbane had gone in to investigate.  There was no mistaking Leper Queen; she’d been horribly disfigured by a pyrokinetic mutant and now she wore an evil looking mask to hide her injuries.

 _“Hold tight, we’re almost ready.”_ Cannonball said as he watched his teammates from his position on the roof of the building across the street.  Boomer, Warpath and Siryn were ready to breach the door as Wolfsbane lurked in the shadows, concealed in the darkness by her black X-Force armor.  They were about to put an end to the Sapien League once and for all and leper Queen wasn’t going to escape this time.

 _‘Time to end this.’_ Cannonball thought as he flew into the air above the warehouse.

“Listen up!” Leper Queen ordered as she addressed her remaining men.  “X-Force thinks they’ve beaten us, but today we avenge our fallen brothers and sisters by destroying Camp X-Ray!” She yelled as her men cheered.  “Thanks to our contacts in SHIELD, our convoy can pass the check points disguised as an aid shipment for the poor mutants.” She said sarcastically.  “We’ll set off our truck bombs at these locations and then shoot the ones that don’t die in the fires.” She cackled.  Most of her followers that hadn’t been arrested or killed in the recent X-Force attacks had deserted her, but she still had just enough fanatics to make one last stand against the mutants.  She was going to burn the mutants the way they’d burned her and this time X-Force would be too late to stop her, or so she thought.

“Take ‘em down!” Cannonball yelled as he blasted through the roof of the warehouse.  He slammed into the group of madmen like a missile as Boomer blasted the doors down and Warpath and Siryn annihilated the remaining terrorists.  Wolfsbane leaped down from the rafters at Leper Queen as she opened fire on the others.

“Yer’re nae gettin’ away this time!” Wolfsbane yelled as she chased after Leper Queen.  Boomer charged after her as Warpath cut a bloody swath of destruction through the Sapien League thugs with his razor sharp adamantium knives.  Wolfsbane was a great fighter, but Boomer wasn’t going to let her best friend face anyone as evil and cruel as Leper Queen alone.

 **Jean** **Grey School – Dallas Texas**

“We’re home.” Kitty said as they turned off East Mockingbird Lane onto the school’s private drive. Forge owned all the land on the northwest shore of White Rock Lake in north Dallas, but he’d given it to the X-Men so they rebuild the school and help young mutants.

“I see the welcoming committees been here.” Danielle said sarcastically when she saw the anti-mutant graffiti all over the gate.

“Haters gonna hate.” Kitty said as they parked in the driveway.

“Wow.” Danielle said as she looked up at the big house that had been built for the X-Men.  It wasn’t Xavier’s mansion, but it was a comfortable home for the team, surrounded by a lovely forest and bordered by the lake on three sides.  The student’s dorm and classrooms were located behind the main house and Danielle was really impressed by the new school.

“You can thank Forge for all of this when you see him.” Kitty said.  “He had a secret research center underground here, but he gave it and the land so we could rebuild.” She explained.  The facility was so well hidden and well-fortified that X-Force used it as a base during and after the war.  The whole peninsula was protected by Forge Industries best security technology and there was no safer place to build the school.

“I’ll get our bags.” Sophia said as she opened the trunk.

“Welcome home Danielle!” Ororo exclaimed as she walked down the front steps to greet them. She’d always had a special relationship with Danielle and she was so happy she’d come back to the school to teach for her.

“It’s good to be home.” Danielle said as she hugged her.  She felt her whole identity had been ripped away when she’d lost her powers and she’d left to try to find herself again.  She’d found acceptance with a group of mutant rights activists at her college, but she still felt out of place.  She realized now how wrong she’d been to run away from the institute and her friends and she was very grateful to Ororo for giving her another chance.  

“Rahne and the others are going to be so happy to see you again.” Ororo told her.  “They wanted to be here, but duty called.” She explained.

“I know.” Danielle said. “Hey Sophia, come and meet…”

“Storm!” Sophia exclaimed as dropped her bags and ran to greet her.  Ororo was a tall, blue eyed African woman with a snow white mohawk so Sophia instantly recognized her as the famous heroine, Storm.  Sophia had admired her ever since she’d mutated and she was really happy to meet her.

“Pleased to meet you too Sophia.” Ororo said.  “I know this is probably going to be a big adjustment, but I think you’ll be happy here with us.”

“People are starving where I’m from, I’ll be fine here.” Sophia said.  She’d grown up in Venezuela; her mother had been killed for speaking out against the socialist government and she’d nearly starved before her father could bring her back to America.  She was truly thankful for the comfortable life she had now and she didn’t let minor inconveniences bother her at all. 

“Well then, I’ll help you two get settled.” Ororo said as she escorted them into the house. 

**Akron Ohio**

“Cut that mongrel in half!” Leper Queen yelled as her men opened fire on Wolfsbane. The little werewolf took two rounds in her armor vest, but her superhuman reflexes saved her from further harm as she scrambled behind a forklift to avoid the gunfire.

“Suck on this!” Boomer yelled as she hurled a bomb into the midst of the terrorists.  The deafening blast shook the whole warehouse and sent the Sapien League thugs flying as Wolfsbane leaped into action again.  Leper Queen opened fire on her, but she was no match for the little werewolf’s speed and strength.  Wolfsbane raced up the side of the wall using her sharp claws to avoid Leper Queens bullets; then she leaped and slammed a kick into the side of her face, shattering her mask and sending her flying.

“Filthy mutant bitch!” Leper Queen groaned as she spat blood and tried to get to her feet.  She could barely stand after such a vicious blow and Wolfsbane was on her again in an instant.

“It’s over!” Wolfsbane yelled as she rammed her fist into Leper Queen’s hideous face, sending her crashing into a stack of ammo cans. “Ye’ll never burn another baby again ye damned sadist!” Wolfsbane growled.  Leper Queen had murdered many young mutants, but she was beaten and Wolfsbane wouldn’t kill a defenseless enemy. She wasn’t an animal and she’d never allow herself to be ruled by her baser instincts like Wolverine.

“Maybe not, but I’ll burn all of you.” Leper Queen said as she held up the detonator she’d just armed.  She knew she was finished, but she had no intention of going quietly and she was going to take them all out with her.

“Ye’ll kill yer own people!” Wolfsbane yelled as Leper Queen sat there laughing at her.  She was on a suicide mission anyway and the lives of her followers were certainly worth sacrificing to destroy X-Force.

“She’s got the place wired!” Boomer yelled into the radio.

 **Jean** **Grey School** **– Dallas Texas**

“Once you’ve gotten unpacked, I’ll give you a tour and introduce your squad.” Ororo said as Danielle hung her clothes in the closet. 

“So what’s the deal with these training squads Ororo?  You told me we weren’t training X-Men anymore.” Danielle asked.

“We’re not training them to fight; we’re just teaching them to use their powers to help people as the professor intended.” Ororo told her.

“So why isn’t he here to help?” Danielle asked.  Public opinion had turned against super humans in general and mutants in particular after the war with Apocalypse.  Mutants needed Professor Xavier now more than ever and Danielle resented his decision to leave.

“He’s old, he’s tired and everything he worked for his entire life has been destroyed.” Ororo told her.  “He’s earned the right to live out his final days in whatever peace he can find.” She said bluntly.  Xavier felt responsible for the events leading to the Genoshan Purge and now he’d lost half his students in a war he’d spent his whole life trying to prevent.  He was a broken shell of his former self and he’d decided the X-Men were better off without him.  Ororo wished he was still with them as well, but he’d trusted her to rebuild the school and save his dream and that was exactly what she was going to do.

“Do you think these kids are going to accept me as their mentor?” Danielle asked after a moment.  “I’m not a mutant anymore.”

“You’re a hero and a role model Danielle, your DNA doesn’t matter.” Ororo said. 

“It matters.” Danielle said bitterly.  “I’m not really a mutant and I’m not really a baseline; I hate this.”

“I don’t want to get your hopes up, but it might be possible to give you your powers back.” Ororo said.

“How?” Danielle asked.  “Dr. McCoy already tried everything.” She said.

“Yes, but Dr. MacTaggart has made a lot of advancements in her research over the last three years.  She might be able to repair the damage to your X-gene.” Ororo told her.  “I know you don’t agree with her research, but she’s done more to help mutants than anyone besides Professor Xavier and I think you should give her a chance.”    

“How can she _really_ be our friend when she’s trying to cure us like we’re some kind of disease?” Danielle asked.  Moira MacTaggart might be her best friend’s adopted mother, but Danielle was disgusted with her after learning she was part of the worldwide research effort to find a cure for mutation.

“She’s trying to save lives Danielle.” Ororo said.  “She lost her son to an uncontrollable mutation and she’s trying to save mutants with similar conditions.” She explained. Her son’s powers had raged out of control, driven him insane and ultimately destroyed him.  She and her husband Joseph were devastated by his death and she’d spent years trying to find a cure so that no other parents would have to go through what they did.

“I thought Rahne was her only child.” Danielle said.

“Kevin died about a year before she and Joseph adopted Rahne.” Ororo told her. “His powers drove him insane; he tried to kill everyone and Piotr finally had to kill him to stop him.” She said.

“I didn’t know.” Danielle said.

“I know you didn’t, but don’t be so quick to judge someone’s intentions in the future.” Ororo said.

**Akron Ohio**

“I got ya!” Cannonball yelled as he flew in, grabbed Wolfsbane and Boomer and blasted through the roof of the warehouse just as Leper Queen’s truck bombs detonated.  The tremendous force of the blast obliterated the warehouse and leveled several buildings nearby as Cannonball, Boomer and Wolfsbane narrowly escaped being burned alive.

“Ya’ll ok?” Sam asked as they landed on the roof of a nearby building.

“It’s just a scratch, I’m fine.” Tabitha said.  A bullet had grazed her right arm and she was bleeding, but didn’t hurt that much and her armor vest had stopped the other rounds.

“Come here and let me patch ye up.” Rahne said as she opened her medical kit.

“It can wait Rahne; we need to get out of here.” Tabitha said.

“Ah dinnae tell ye how tae hack computers and blow things up, so ye dinnae tell me how tae be a medic.” Rahne told her. Tabitha knew better than to try to argue with her anymore; Rahne loved her like a sister and she could be really overprotective sometimes.

“Let her work.” Sam said as Rahne started bandaging Tabitha’s arm.  He hated to see any of them hurt, but they were in love and he took it especially hard when she was injured.

 “That didn’t go so well.” Theresa said as she and James landed on the roof where Sam, Tabitha and Rahne were hiding.  There was nothing left of the warehouse but a huge smoking hole in the ground and the whole area was devastated.  Several nearby buildings had collapsed and they were lucky there were no civilians in the area.

 “No, and you can bet th’ press is gonna go nuts over this one.” Sam said grimly.  Several major news organizations had decided that the only “acceptable” superheroes were the Avengers due to their affiliation with the government and they never let facts get in the way of their narrative that everyone else was dangerous.

 “So will Scott.” Tabitha sighed.

 “Screw him.” James said bluntly.  “Camp X-Ray would look like that warehouse right now if it weren’t for us.” He said.  The survivors from Mutant Town had been moved from New York City to an aid center for I nternally D isplaced P eople set up in Akron after the war.  Camp X-Ray was a rough place and a constant source of contention between the mutants and the baseline humans.

 “Ah’ll never understand tha’ kind of hate.” Rahne said as she looked at the ruins of the warehouse. Rahne certainly wanted the terrorists to be punished for their evil and cruelty, but she was disgusted by the senseless loss of life.

 “That’s why yer’re th’ best of us.” Sam said as he put his arm around her. Rahne was the team’s moral compass; she fought only to protect the innocent and to give the next generation of mutants and baselines a better life.  She never gave in to hate or revenge and the others respected her even if they couldn’t always live up to her example.

 “What the hell Sam?! I thought you were going to take her alive so we could find out where she got her money.” Jamie’s duplicate said indignantly as he climbed onto the roof from the fire escape.

 “She was on a suicide mission Jamie. If you thought you could have done it better then you should have done it yerself.” Sam told him.  He’d had every intention of capturing Leper Queen, but once she’d armed those bombs, he wasn’t about to risk Rahne and Tabitha’s lives for hers.

 “I just hope this doesn’t come back to bite us in the ass.” The duplicate said as he turned to leave.  “You guys better get out of here before SHIELD shows up.” He warned as he disappeared back down the fire escape.

**Jean Grey School - Dallas Texas**

**-Later-**

“This new school is amazing; it has everything we need.” Danielle said as she and Ororo stepped out of the student’s dorm and began to walk down one of the nature trails toward the boathouse and docks.

“Yes, Jonathan has been very generous.” Ororo said they stood beneath an oak tree looking out over the waters of White Rock Lake.  She and Forge had never been particularly close before the war, but now they were starting to find themselves attracted to one another despite their differences in philosophies. Forge supported X-Force completely, but Ororo had serious misgivings about their actions even though she loved her former students.

“So when do I meet my students?” Danielle asked after a moment.

“David and Josh were supposed to meet us here.” Ororo said. “I hope they haven’t gotten into trouble again.” She said, sounding worried.

“They probably just lost track of time.” Danielle said.

“We’ll give them a minute; I’m enjoying being out of the house.” Ororo said as she sat down on the bench beneath the tree.

“Yeah, its really beautiful here.” Danielle said as she sat down beside her.  “So what’s down that trail?” She asked pointing to the west.

“The cemetery.” Ororo answered solemnly. “Everyone who died in the war is there; so are Illyana and the Hellions if you want to pay your respects.” She said.

“You moved Yana?” Danielle asked, confused.

“They belong here with us.” Ororo said.  She didn’t want to tell Danielle how Jean’s grave had been desecrated by Mr. Sinister.  They’d been best friends for years; Ororo still missed her every day and she didn’t want to relive such a horrible moment again.

“I’m sorry I’m late Ms. Munro, I can’t find Josh anywhere.” David interrupted as he joined them.  They’d both been assigned to Danielle’s training squad and David had been looking all over for his wayward roommate since they were supposed to come meet her.

“Danielle, meet David Allen, we call him Prodigy.” Ororo said as she introduced them.  She’d warned the few students she had not to leave campus alone since there was at least one gang of Reavers in Dallas, but Josh never listened.

“Wow, I’ve heard a lot about you and the New Mutants.” David said as he greeted Danielle.

Really?” Danielle asked.

“Yeah, Ms. MacTaggart told us how you all fought a demon bear and The Hellfire Club and about that time you guys stopped N’astirh from opening a portal to hell in New York City.” He said.

“Yeah, we had some wild times back in the day.” Danielle sighed.

 _“Cerebro, locate Joshua Foley immediately.”_ Ororo said as she activated her communicator.

 _“Joshua Foley is located at 375 Cicada Street in Dallas Texas.”_ Cerebro informed her.  Cerebro was the schools advanced artificial intelligence, similar to Tony Stark’s assistant _FRIDAY_.  It could do everything from training the teams to finding disobedient students and Ororo was grateful for its assistance.

“His parent’s home.” Ororo told Danielle. “I’ll send Paige and Jubilation to retrieve him.” She sighed. Josh had been giving her a lot of problems since he’d arrived and he didn’t seem to be getting any better.  He’d recently manifested and been sent to live at the school by his parents. His family had been forced out of New York by the war and now his world had been turned upside down again so he was acting out and rebelling.

“Let me go.” Danielle said. “I can see I’m gonna have to lay down the law with this one.” She said.

“Very well Danielle, but don’t be too hard on him. I seem to remember you and your classmates having some _“wild times”_ when you were his age.” Ororo remined her.

“Yeah, and look how we turned out.” Danielle said, half serious.

“His parents’ home is on the far side of White Rock Park, just across the lake. You can take one of the boats to the marina.” Ororo said pointing across the lake.

  **White Rock Marina**

“So what’s the story with Josh and his parents?” Danielle asked as she docked the boat at White Rock Marina across the lake from the Jean Grey School.

“His family was displaced by the war.” David explained.  “They used to live in New York, near the Institute, and I guess you know how hard that area got hit.” He sighed.

“Yeah.” Danielle sighed. The mass evacuation from the war zone in and around New York City had caused a lot of problems all over the country. Everyone form Westchester and the surrounding counties had been relocated to the Dallas area after Apocalypse burned the Xavier Institute and most were still there.  Josh’s family, like many others, had decided to make a new start in Dallas so they’d purchased a home and begun rebuilding their lives.

“His little sister has all kinds of psychological problems because of it and his parents hate mutants now.” David said.  “When Josh manifested, they sent him to live at the school.” He told her. “They weren’t getting along very well before, but now they’ve basically disowned him.” He added.

“I guess that explains him acting out like this.” Danielle said as they walked through the park.  The sun had begun to set and she wanted to get Josh home before it got too late.

“Josh is trying to figure out who he is right now.” David told her.  “He hated mutants, but now he is one and he was basically nobody as a baseline, but now he’s a Class 5 super mutant.” He said.

 _‘That would screw with anyone’s head.’_ Danielle thought as they continued toward the Foley’s home.

“Somebody’s in trouble!” David exclaimed as a cry for help rang out through the darkness and they raced down the nature trail into the clearing by the a small pond.

“Shut the fuck up you little bitch!” Duncan snarled as he rammed his cybernetic fist into Josh’s stomach and he cried out in pain.  “I’m gonna have fun nailing your skinny ass to a cross!” He said as a sadistic grin spread across his face.  He’d lost his family, one eye and both arms in the war and he’d joined the Reavers to get revenge.  Donald Pierce had furnished him with advanced, illegal cybernetic enchantments, but he was eager to prove himself and earn some upgrades.  

“Duncan…” Josh gasped. “What happened to you isn’t my fault…please don’t do this!” He choked out.

“Quit showing off kid!” Angelo Macon barked as he emerged from the darkness near the pond. “Tie him up and lets get the hell out of here before we’re spotted.” He ordered.  The former soldier turned mercenary had become a cyborg after a fight with Wolverine and he was Donald Pierce’s most experienced lieutenant.  He hated training these new recruits, Kevin, Duncan and DeAndre were too angry and undisciplined to follow his orders.

“Get out of here David! Call for help!” Danielle ordered as she charged into the fight. She knew she didn’t stand a chance; Macon was 6’4” 240lbs of muscle and steel with three goons to back him up, but she couldn’t stand by and let Josh be tortured and killed. She just hoped the X-Men would arrive in time to help them.

“Leave him alone!” She yelled as she ran, leaped and slammed her boot into DeAndre’s face. He didn’t have any cybernetic enhancements yet and she knocked him out cold with one blow.

“Danielle Moonstar.” Macon said coldly as his facial recognition software accessed the Reaver database and brought up all the data Donald Pierce had collected on her over the years. “You must be crazy to take us on without your powers.” He said as he scanned her with his ocular implants.

“Must be.” Danielle said as she stared him down.  She was scared, but if this was going to be her end, then she was determined to die trying to protect a fellow mutant.

“What are you waiting for?! Kill her!” Macon yelled as Duncan and Kevin stood there gawking.  Danielle didn’t act scared of them at all and she’d just taken out their friend with one kick.  Kevin came at her with a bat, but Danelle quickly disarmed him, snapping his arm and ramming him face first into the dirt.  She might not have powers, but she had years of experience and two of Macon’s new recruits had just been outclassed.

“You want some too?!” Danielle yelled as she grabbed the bat and squared off with Duncan.

“Bitch, please.” Duncan scoffed as he charged her.  She swung at him as hard as she could, but the bat shattered against his cybernetic arm and he sent her crashing to the ground with a devastating punch.

“Finish her off kid and the boss upgrade you to full Reaver.” Macon said as Danielle staggered to her feet.  She felt like she’d been hit by a bus, but she wasn’t about to give up and die.  Duncan came at her again and Danielle hit him as hard as she could, but she just wasn’t strong enough to stop him with all his augmentations. His ocular implants substantially increased his reflexes and his superhuman strength was just too much for her.  Duncan rammed his knee into her stomach and drove his elbow into her back, slamming her into the dirt face first.

“You bitch.” Duncan said as he wiped the blood form his busted lip. “I’m going to enjoy this.”  He said as grabbed both her arms and put his foot in the middle of her back.  Danielle screamed in agony as Duncan broke both her arms with his superhuman strength.  He was about to snap her neck when the sudden roar of jet engines overhead startled him.

“What the hell?!” He exclaimed as the PACRAT roared overhead and Wolfsbane, Warpath and Boomer leaped from the rear hatch.  X-Force was returning to the school after their mission when they’d heard David’s call for help and they’d arrived just in time.  Wolfsbane slammed into Duncan like a missile, knocking him away from Danielle and ramming him into the ground.

“Watch our backs Boomer!” Warpath said as they landed next to Danielle and he charged Macon like an angry bull.

“Get off me you freak!” Duncan yelled as he tried to fight off Wolfsbane.  “I’ll rip you apart!” He yelled as two wicked looking blades shot out of both his cybernetic arms.  Donald Pierce had an extensive file on Wolfsbane and he knew he was in the fight of his life against her.

“C’mon then ye bastard!” Wolfsbane growled as she tore into him with her claws. She was stronger, faster and more experienced than anyone he’d ever fought before and she was giving him a brutal beating. He slashed at her wildly, but she dodged and flipped, landing a devastating kick that sent him flying backwards as Macon opened fire on Warpath.

“Oh Shit!” Macon yelled as his bullets bounced off Warpath’s thick armor as he charged him.  Warpath slashed his rifle in half with his adamantium knives and rammed his knee into Macon’s midsection sending him flying.

“I’m gonna finish what Wolverine started.” Warpath growled as he stalked toward him. 

“Come on then chief, let’s do this.” Macon said as he popped a wrist blade and gave him a look of pure hate.

“Yer’re finished monster!” Wolfsbane snarled as Duncan slashed at her. She seized his cybernetic arm and ripped it out of the nerve interface in his shoulder with her superhuman strength.  Duncan screamed in pain and slashed at her with his left arm, but she was too quick and smashed him in the face with his own arm, knocking him out.

“Pick on somebody your own size!” Warpath snapped as he slammed his fist into Macon’s face send him crashing into a tree.  He staggered to his feet, but Warpath plowed into him unleashing a vicious ground and pound assault on the evil cyborg.  Macon might have superhuman strength and reflexes, but Warpath was a Class 4 mutant; completely out of his league.  After a beating like that he’d be lucky to walk again and he definitely wouldn’t be threatening Danielle or the students anymore.

“There anymore of ‘em out there?” Warpath asked as Wolfsbane sniffed the air.  Her senses were so acute when she was in her hybrid form that it was almost impossible to sneak up on her.

“No, tha’s all of ‘em.” She answered.

“Rahne! Get over here! She’s hurt bad!” Boomer yelled.  She’d stayed back to protect Danielle, but she was really worried now that she saw how badly injured she was.  Wolfsbane felt sick as she ran to her friend’s aid.  She already felt guilty about not being there to meet Danielle at the airport and now she felt even worse because of what just happened.  Danielle was a real mess, both her arms were badly broken as was her jaw and at least four ribs. Her right eye was swollen shut and she was bloody, bruised and unconscious from the savage beating she’d taken.

“Och, this is bad.” Rahne said as the PACRAT landed nearby.  “Jimmy, go untie Josh.” She told him as she checked Danielle for more injuries.  She was in rough shape but Rahne was confident she would make a full recovery between Josh’s Class 5 healing powers and the Shiar healing pods in the medical bay.

“Rahne, I can help her.” Josh said as Warpath freed him. His healing powers had already healed his injuries and he wanted to help the woman who’d saved him. 

“Ah’ve got tae set th’ bones in her arms before ye try anything, now give me some room.” Rahne said as Josh ran to her side. She shot Danielle full of pain killer to keep her unconscious while she worked to set her broken bones.

“Josh! How did this happen?!” Sam asked as he and Theresa joined them. “What are ya’ll doin’ out here at night?!” He asked.

“I came to see my parents and those cyborg freaks jumped me.” Josh admitted.

“Yer’re nae supposed tae go off campus alone Josh!” Rahne yelled. “Dani nearly got killed protectin’ ye!” She yelled as she fought back her tears.  “Come here and make yerself useful fer once!” She ordered.

“Yes ma’am.” Josh said sheepishly.  He knew he’d really screwed up this time and he felt terrible that Danielle had been so badly hurt defending him.  Rahne had told them all about her and she was every bit as brave as she’d said.

“Tha’s good Josh; it’s working.” Rahne said as he began to heal her friend.

  _“Sam, what happened?”_   Ororo asked as Sam’s communicator crackled to life. Even though she knew how skilled Sam and his team were, she was still really worried about her students.

 _“Th’ Reavers tried to grab Josh, but Dani jumped in and held ‘em off till we got here.”_ Sam explained. “ _She got beat up pretty bad, but Rahne and Josh are working on her now.”_ He said.

 _“What about the Reavers?”_ Scott asked.

 _“We’ve got Macon and three baby borg gift wrapped fer ya.”_ Sam said as Jimmy finished tying up the two normal ones. _“Ya’ll better call SHIELD on this one, they’ll want to see what Pierce has been up to.”_ He said looking at the illegal augmentations on Duncan.

 _“Understood Sam, hurry...”_ Ororo said as she was interrupted by Emma.

 _“Sam, this is odd, Cerebro just detected a new mutant near you!”_ Emma exclaimed as every screen in the lab lit up like a Christmas tree.  Emma and Monet were the only psychics to survive the war besides the professor, so even though Emma was a former enemy she’d been given access to Cerebro.  

“It must be broken, there’s nobody here but us.” Tabitha said as they all looked around.

“It’s Dani!” Rahne exclaimed. She was still in her hybrid form and she could feel her friend through their psychic link once again.

“Ah can feel her again! It’s really weak, but Ah can feel her.” Rahne said.  Danielle had a psychic rapport with animals and she was able to form a psychic link with Rahne when she was in her hybrid and werewolf forms.

“How?!” Sam asked.

“Josh must have healed th’ damage tae her X-gene when he healed her injuries.” Rahne explained.

 _“Ya’ll get all that Doc?”_ Sam asked.

 _“Yes, It seems Mr. Foley is even more powerful than we suspected.”_ Hank said as he studied the data on the screen in front of Emma.  _“Rahne, keep her sedated and get her back to the psionics lab as soon as you can.”_ He said.  _“Emma and I need to run some tests and take precautions before she wakes up.”_ He told her.  Danielle’s powers were dangerous and he didn’t want to take any chances since it had been so long since she’d had to control them.

“A’ ight, let’s get our girl home.” Sam said as James picked Danielle up they all headed for the PACRAT.  This certainly wasn’t the reunion he’d expected, but Danielle was safe now and she had her powers back; which he knew would make her happy.  He was starting to feel a little better about the day until Kurt teleported into he park with Scott and Logan.

“I want to talk to you about that mess in Akron.” Scott said angrily.

“I got nothin’ t’ say t’ you.” Sam said as he pushed his way past him.  He was sick of fighting with Scott and this wasn’t the time or the place for another argument.

**Psionics Lab – Jean Grey School**

**-Later-**

“How is she Doc?” Sam asked as Dr. Hank McCoy emerged from the Psionics Lab.

“She’s stable now, but we’re going to keep her overnight for observation.” He explained. “Her fear conjuring powers could wreak havoc with everyone’s traumatic memories of the war.” He said.  “She’s going to have to learn to control her powers again and it isn’t going to be easy; she’s experienced a great deal of psychic trauma herself.” He warned.

“She didnae feel like Dani.” Rahne said sadly. “She felt so dark and cold and angry when Ah was in her head.” She said as Sam put his arm around her.  He’d known something was bothering her since they’d gotten back.

“Rahne, I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to suppress your link with her.” Hank said as he came to her side.  “Any prolonged psychic contact is likely to be very dangerous for both of you.  You’re strong, but her powers could trigger your PTSD and cause you to relapse.” He said. “She’s never received the proper treatment and she’s just too damaged right now to cope with the trauma you endured in the war.” He explained as Rahne nodded and wiped her eyes. She didn’t want to have Danielle in her head again; at first she’d been happy, but the longer they were linked the worse she felt and she’d quickly reverted to her natural form to get away from her.

“You can all come see her in the morning if everything goes well tonight.” Hank said as they all headed upstairs to bed.  His scans had revealed that Danielle was suffering from severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and he was very concerned about her mental health.  He hoped now that she was home with her friends again she could get the help she needed, but he knew it wasn’t going to be easy for any of them.

**Next Issue: Danielle is finally reunited with her friends again.**


	2. Bent and Broken

Disclaimer: Marvel owns everything here except Wrath.

A/N: An alternate version of the X-Men and X-Force from Earth 730.

Apocalypse has been defeated, but the Millennium War has cost the X-Men dearly.  With the Xavier Institute reduced to ashes and only two surviving psychics, the X-Men have been forced to relocate to the X-Force base in Dallas Texas. Headmistress Storm is preparing to open a new school for young mutants in the hope of salvaging Xavier’s dream and uniting the teams, but the growing conflict between Cannonball’s X-Force and Cyclops’ X-Men has put the future in jeopardy.

**Previously**

X-Force barely escaped the Leper Queen’s trap during their final battle with the Sapien League, but they managed to put an end to the terrorist organization once and for all.  Meanwhile Danielle Moonstar arrived at the Jean Grey School in Dallas Texas to take up her new position as an instructor.  Danielle was severely injured by the Reavers while defending her new students.  Fortunately, X-Force arrived just in time to save her and Josh Foley, a Class 5 healer, unintentionally restored her powers while healing her injuries.

This Issue:

X-Force: Sam Guthrie-Cannonball, Tabitha Smith-Boomer, Theresa Cassidy-Siryn, James Proudstar-Warpath, Rahne MacTaggart-Wolfsbane

X-Men: James Howlett-Wolverine, Ororo Munro-Storm, Scott Summers-Cyclops, Professor Charles Xavier

Faculty Members: Danielle Moonstar-Mirage

 **X-Men - Guardians # 2:** **Bent and Broken**

**Jean Grey School – Dallas Texas**

“Ye feeling better now?” Theresa asked as Danielle joined her on the patio for a cup of coffee.  They’d all been down the Psionics Lab to check on Danielle first thing that morning, but she wasn’t feeling well at all and they hadn’t really had any time to talk.

“A little. I’m sorry about this morning Terry; that wasn’t the reunion I wanted.” Danielle said.  “Hank gave me a psychic inhibitor to dull my powers for a while and its helping.”  She explained.

“Hank explained everything Dani, ye don’t have anything to apologizer fer. We’re just glad yer’re still with us.” Theresa said as she put her arm around her.

“I really owe your guys; I thought I was going to die last night.” Danielle admitted as they leaned against the railing looking out across the backyard.

“Ye did yerself proud. Ye were outnumbered, but ye held yer own and saved Josh.” Theresa said, trying to make Danielle feel better. 

“You guys saved Josh, I just gave them someone else to beat.” Danielle said bitterly.

“Dani, that punk even gave Rahne a good scrap fer a minute and she’s one of our best brawlers.” Theresa explained.  “And Jimmy’s the only one who could stand up to Macon one on one; the guy’s a walking arsenal.”

“I could have taken all of ‘em if I’d had my powers.” Danielle fumed.  She was angry and humiliated by what had happened and she hated feeling so powerless.

“Well, ye’ve got them back now; so be thankful fer that.” Theresa told her.

“Where’s Josh?” Danielle asked. “I want to thank him, but I haven’t seen him all morning.” She said.

“Rahne’s really mad at him fer disobeying Ro again and getting ye hurt.” Theresa explained.  “She grounded him fer a month and had him cleaning the guys locker room the last I saw.” She said.

“I think I’ll give him a break this time since he gave me my life back.” Danielle said. Theresa didn’t like that Danielle was going to undermine Rahne’s authority like that, but she didn’t get involved in teaching the kids so she’d let them settle it.

“Ye think ye’d feel like going out fer a few beers with us tonight?” Theresa asked after a moment.  The team liked to unwind after missions down at a bar called Hell and Back. The owner, Jay Huggins, had named it after his experience in Kandahar Province and the bar was popular among the military and first responder communities in the area.  X-Force found acceptance there too, since they’d fought in the Millennium war, Jay and his patrons respected them and their service.

“Yeah, I’d like that.” Danielle said.  “Hank says I can’t link with Rahne for a while so I guess I’m going to have to get caught up on everything the old-fashioned way.” She said, trying to find some humor in her situation.  She was really disappointed not be able to link to Rahne and know instantly what was going on in her life.  She really valued their special connection although Rahne hadn’t always appreciated Danielle being privy to her most private thoughts and desires.

“Take it easy with Rahne.” Theresa told her.  “She had a really bad time in the war.” She explained. Rahne was the strongest and bravest person she knew, but she wasn’t indestructible and she still struggled with guilt and sadness at times.

“Is she ok Terry? Is she still Rahne?” Danielle asked, concerned.  Theresa hadn’t really changed her appearance, but the others had and Danielle barely recognized them when they’d come to see her that morning.  Rahne had grown her hair really long; she had multiple ear piercings and a much tougher look about her now. Sam had put on twenty pounds of pure muscle and he looked much older now with his three day beard.  It didn’t seem possible, but James was even scarier looking with his mohawk and tattoos on each shoulder and bicep.  The new girl, Tabitha, was strong, confident and a little intimidating.  

“She’s changed Dani.” Theresa told her.  “She’s not yer needy little sister anymore, but she’s still Rahne.” She said.  “She still loves to write; she still has her faith, she’s…”

“She’s still a tomboy.” Danielle interrupted as she looked up and saw Rahne walking down the nature trail into the yard with several younger students from the lower school.  She’d taken them to the forest to learn about insects for their science class and she was covered in dirt, twigs and leaves.

“Yeah.” Theresa said as the walked out to meet their friend.  Despite Tabitha’s best efforts Rahne still wasn’t really interested in clothes or fashion.  She was way more comfortable in jeans and t-shirts and she often got really dirty playing with the children or working on her motorcycle.

“Dani!” Rahne exclaimed as she caught her friends scent on the breeze. “Ah’m glad yer’re feelin’ better!” She said as she ran up and hugged her.

“I’m ok now.” Danielle reassured her. “I know you’re busy, but I wanted to thank you for last night.” She said.

“Ah’m sorry Ah wasnae there with ye.” Rahne said as she started to get emotional.  She still felt guilty for not picking Danielle up at the airport and spending yesterday with her.

“You were there when I needed you.” Danielle said as she hugged her friend again.

“Ms. MacTaggart. I need to go to the bathroom.” Katelyn interrupted.

“Duty calls.” Danielle said. “Terry invited me out with you guys tonight; we can catch up then.” She said as Rahne took the kids back to the school.  There were a hundred questions Danielle wanted to ask her, but Rahne had a class to supervise and she couldn’t leave the children.  Rahne loved her work, but it didn’t leave her much time to herself and she was really sorry she couldn’t spend the whole day with Danielle.

**Office of the Headmistress**

"There's been another incident." Ororo said as Logan walked into her office and sat down across from her at her desk. Their old enemy Donald Pierce and the Reavers had abducted several young mutants and crucified them on X shaped crosses, just as they’d planned to do with Josh the night before.

"What happened?" Logan asked.

"Donald Pierce and the Reavers." Ororo replied as she turned the screen so he could see the full report of the incident. Donald Pierce was making an open mockery of them; he was sending a message that mutants weren't safe and that the X-Men couldn't protect them.

"They’ve already come after one of our students." Ororo said. "I want you to make certain that the school is secure." She said. As headmistress, the safety of her students took top priority and she knew she had to prepare before Pierce was strong enough to attack the school.

"This is bullshit Ro." Logan snorted. "You need to let me put these mechanical freaks in body bags before we end up with a bunch of dead kids on our doorstep." He said angrily.

"I’m angry too, but we can’t just go slaughter them." Scott said as he walked into the office.

"They're targeting kids and you still wanna play superhero?" Logan asked.

"We have to be better than the scum we're fighting." Scott said defensively.

"Nice speech boy scout." Logan said in a disgusted tone. "Tell that to those kids' families."

"Logan, if we go carve up Pierce's baby Reavers the media will crucify  **us**." Scott said. "We'll take them down, but we can't rip them apart like X-Force did the Sapien League."

"This is bullshit." Logan said as he lit a cigar and left the room.

"I'll try to talk to him." Scott sighed as he followed him out. 

Ororo sat at her desk brooding for a moment before she noticed the professor was trying to contact her from Muir Isle.  He was old and he’d begun to have difficulty controlling his powers.  Fearing he might become a danger to the X-Men and his students, he’d resigned from his duties to live out his final days under the care of his friend Dr. Moira MacTaggart. The Joseph MacTaggart Memorial Hospital and Research Facility on Muir Island could care for the most seriously ill mutants while Moira and her team worked to find a cure.

“I see I’ve called at a bad time.” Xavier said as she opened the video-chat with him.

“There’s been another attack. The Reavers crucified some teenagers in Los Angeles last night and they even attacked one of our students.” Ororo admitted.  “Now Scott and Logan are arguing about how best to handle them and defend the school and I know Sam’s team is going to want to get involved.” She said. 

"I never wanted this." Xavier said in despair. "I never intended to create a fighting team; I built the school so people like Jean and Rahne could learn to use their gifts safely, so people like Logan could put their lives back together; not to train soldiers for war."

"Charles, the world has changed and we have to be more proactive now." Ororo said. "But, we all want a better world for the next generation of mutants  _ **and**_  humans." She reassured him.

"I was right to make you headmistress." Xavier said appreciatively.

"There have been times when I thought about giving up." She admitted. "All this anger and violence can poison your soul if you let it,  but every time was ready to give up and go home, I stopped and looked at the kids and realized I had to keep on fighting if they were going to have a future." "We still believe in your vision Charles. You could have done so many things with your fortune, but you chose to help a handful of children that no one wanted; we'd lost hope before you took us in and showed us what good we could do with our lives."

"Don't make me out to be a saint." Xavier interrupted.

"You never forced any of us to fight; we chose this life because we share your dream and your respect for life and we're not alone." She said as Sophia and Megan flew past the window, chasing Jean-Paul. The new students were all adjusting well and most of them were delighted to be able to attend the new school and learn from the X-Men. They reminded her so much of the New Mutants when they had first arrived, but those happy memories were marred by regret. It was never Xavier's intention to train them as X-Men; he wanted to offer them a sanctuary free from abuse and violence to learn to use their powers for the greater good. Unfortunately, they often found themselves in harm’s way and despite their heroic intentions, their lives had been filled with sorrow and suffering.

"I don't want them to end up like the New Mutants." Xavier said grimly.

"Charles, they chose to fight to protect the innocent and they suffered for it, but so have we all." She said emphatically. "They're strong, just like the X-Men, and while we may not agree with everything they do; they still believe in your dream and we need to believe in them." She said. The New Mutants had certainly had a rough time over the past few years.  Illyana had been killed, Danielle had been depowered by Colonel Stryker's **M** utant  **R** esponse  **D** ivision and the team had turned to Cable as a result. Xavier hated himself for ever allowing them to train as X-Men, but without their intervention Apocalypse would have enslaved the world.

Ororo excused herself, she didn't like seeing her mentor so depressed, but she certainly understood his feelings. The past few years had been extremely difficult for all of them, but especially for Xavier; his health was deteriorating and with it his powers.  The war with Apocalypse had destroyed the Institute and everything he had spent his whole life working toward.  Worse still, it had taken the life of many of his students, including his intended successor, Jean Grey. Her loss had shaken the team to its core and even now, a year later, they had yet to fully recover. Scott and Emma's relationship certainly didn't help matters and Ororo had to admit, she was shocked by Scott's behavior. Everyone else was still grieving for Jean and the others, but he seemed completely indifferent now that he was with Emma. Logan was disgusted with him and while Scott and Nathan had never been particularly close, they weren't speaking to each other at all now.

So much had changed and not for the better she thought as she paused and looked out the window. It seemed like everything they'd done had all been for nothing after the war, but then she saw Sam and Tabitha walking through the school's gardens and she felt her hope restored. That poor girl had come from a terrible home, almost as bad as Rahne's but she'd grown into a fine young woman, a true hero and Ororo was proud of all she'd accomplished. Changing the life of a poor, abused, unloved teen might not seem like much, but it was the first step toward healing a broken world.

' _I'm so proud of all of you.'_  She thought as she noticed Rahne sitting on the bench under the oak tree at the far side of the garden, teaching the youngsters. She and Tabitha were the youngest at nineteen and twenty, but they had graduated and now Rahne was studying to become a nurse. Danielle was twenty one, a college graduate and the newest instructor. Sam had become the leader of X-Force now that Cable had set up another team. Roberto was head of X-Corp. Los. Angeles office and Allison was working with him, while Theresa was second in command of X-Force and James was serving on the team as well. She didn't know much about the newest addition, Michael Holmes, other than the fact that he was a Peak Human who'd been trained by SHIELD since he was fourteen and that he'd fought with the Avengers against Apocalypse in the Millennium War a year earlier. She didn't agree with  _everything_  X-Force was doing, but she trusted them to make the right decisions and not endanger the school.

**Hell and Back**

**-That Evening-**

"To Dani." Sam said as everyone raised a bottle. "Welcome home." He added.

"Thanks guys." Danielle said. The years hadn't been kind and so much had changed, but Danielle felt good to be sharing a drink with her friends again. Sam, Rahne and Theresa were all that was left of the original team and James and Tabitha were all that was left of the new students. It would have been wonderful to see Roberto again, but after everything they'd been through in the war she was just grateful they were all still alive.

"I think I’m going to like Dallas, this place is a lot nicer than that dump back in Westchester." Danielle said as she looked around the bar.  Harry’s Hideaway was a dive and it would have gone out of business years ago if Logan hadn’t bought it just so he and Kurt would have a place to drink

"Aye and they have Scottish beer here." Rahne said as she took a drink of hers. The owner knew she was a Millennium War veteran and he didn't look too hard at her fake ID as long as she promised not to get drunk and cause trouble.

"Since when do you drink furtop?" Danielle asked.

"Since Ah grew up." Rahne said. "So stop callin’ me tha’ Dani, Ah’m nae a kid anymore." She told her.

"Clearly." Danielle said as she looked her over. She'd always known Rahne was wild at heart, but the brave and beautiful biker girl sitting across from her was still a big surprise. Danielle had to admit she liked Rahne's new look with her piercings, tank top and leather jacket, but seeing her drinking with Tabitha was a huge shock.  She’d always wanted Rahne to be more confident and outgoing, but it looked like she’d gone wild and Danielle decided that Tabitha must be a negative influence on her. 

"Did  _you_  corrupt my sweet little sister?" Danielle asked Tabitha.

"I tried, but she's still a saint compared to the rest of us." Tabitha said as she poured herself a glass of beer from the pitcher she and Sam had ordered.

 _'Who **is** this chick?'_ Danielle thought. Tabitha seemed pretty wild and Danielle wondered what Sam saw in her besides her physical blessings. She was a beautiful blue eyed blonde with a cute pixie cut, big breasts and an incredible body. She seemed nice, but it was like someone had turned her personality up to eleven and broken the knob off. She just seemed a little superficial to Danielle; not like the kind of girl she thought Sam would take home to meet his mother. Danielle and Sam had a brief relationship before she'd lost her powers and while she didn't expect him to still be single, let alone waiting for her, she was still sad. It felt like Tabitha had filled the void she'd left behind and she wondered if the others had really missed her.

"How did you two get to be friends?" Danielle asked, making both Rahne and Tabitha laugh. "Did I say something funny?" She asked.

"Aye." Rahne laughed. "Tabitha couldnae stand me when she first moved in; we used tae fight all th' time."

"Yeah, I was just awful to her." Tabitha admitted. "I was going through a really bad time in my life." She said

"You can't be a New Mutant without a sad back story." Danielle said. "So what's yours Tabitha?" She asked. Tabitha wasn't in the mood to tell Danielle her life's story; she really didn't want to talk to her at all, but she knew Rahne wanted them to be friends. Tabitha's trust wasn't given easily, if at all, but Rahne had told her she could trust Danielle so she decided to give her a chance.

"My parents didn't want me." Tabitha sighed. "I'd pretty much given up…I didn't really care what happened to me anymore and I was making some really bad decisions and screwing up my life." She admitted. "Most of the instructors thought I was a lost cause, but Rahne knew what I was going through and she wouldn't give up on me. No matter how mean I was to her, she kept trying to help and one day, when I'd finally hit rock bottom, I listened to her." Tabitha said. "She told me my life wasn't a mistake; that my past and my criminal record didn't define me; that God loved me and she did too." She said. "She's the first _real_  friend I ever had." Tabitha said as Rahne remembered how she and Tabitha had become so close.

**Three Years Earlier**

**Xavier Institute – Westchester New York**

' _She's so lucky to have him...'_  Rahne thought as Sam parked his truck in the garage and leaned over to give Tabitha a quick kiss on the cheek. Tabitha had arrived at the institute about two months ago and she and Sam had quickly become attracted to each other. Sam was a great guy; he was kind and patient, he was strong, honest and a really hard worker. Rahne didn't know  _all_  the details, but she knew Tabitha had a horrible relationship with her parents, especially her father, so it was pretty obvious why her new roommate was so attracted to Sam. Even though Rahne was still heartbroken over the loss of her first love, Wesley, part of her was a little sad and jealous that Sam was taken. She’d had a huge crush on him when she was younger, but now she realized he was never going to see her as anything but a little sister.

' _That's selfish and wrong.'_  She thought as they got out and began walking back up the driveway to the institute.  _'God brought them together for a reason and I should be ashamed of myself; I should be happy for Tabitha.'_ Rahne thought as she forced those thoughts out of her mind. She wasn't ready to open her heart again anyway and she trusted God to lead her to the right man for her when she was ready.

Helping other people was really the only thing that helped her cope with the pain of her loss and Rahne felt that she should be doing more to help Tabitha. Despite a rocky start to their relationship, they'd become friends and Rahne had learned a lot about her. Rahne had never come out and admitted it, but she’d been abused herself and she was certain Tabitha's father had physically and emotionally abused her too. Rahne's former guardian, Reverend Craig, was hateful and cruel and she knew exactly what Tabitha was going through. She'd struggled for years to overcome her past and she really wanted to help her new friend. Despite their blossoming friendship, Tabitha wasn't really eager to talk about her past and Rahne tried to respect her privacy, but she was worried about her.

Tabitha didn't really fit in well and some of the instructors regarded her as a slacker and a bad influence on the others. Fortunately Ororo, Jean and Professor Xavier seemed to be on her side and they kept trying to work with her even though she was given to blowing off Danger Room training and sneaking out to go get drunk at parties with the kids from town. Rahne could see that all Tabitha's drinking, partying and flirting was just a cover for her own self-doubt and the pain she felt from being abandoned and unloved. She tried to talk to her about it when she first moved in with her, but Tabitha couldn't stand Rahne's wholesome attitude and thought she was being holier than thou. Rahne was offended, but she refused to give up on her and started following her to make sure nothing bad happened to her.

At first Tabitha had been annoyed by Rahne tagging along with her, but after the last party they went too, she was glad she had. Rahne had caught a guy putting GHB in her drink and stopped him and his friends from taking advantage of her or any of the other girls at the party. Rahne was one of Logan's best students in self-defense class and she knocked him out without even using her powers. His friends freaked out and bailed on him before anyone could call the police, but Rahne wasn't about to spend one more second at that party. She grabbed her inebriated roommate and got a ride from one of the girls from her church before the police arrived, but they'd still gotten caught by Logan.

Rahne pleaded with him not to punish Tabitha or tell the others what had happed, to let her handle it when she sobered up. Logan would have refused such a request from anyone else, but he had a soft spot for Rahne and he knew he could trust her to always do the right thing. He gave Rahne his word and even carried Tabitha back to their room for her. Tabitha was sick most of the night and Rahne stayed up with her and took care of her until she was well enough to talk about what had almost happened. Tabitha was so ashamed of herself she didn't know what to say to Rahne, she knew how dangerous the world  _really_  was and she couldn't believe she'd gotten so drunk she'd fallen for that. She realized Rahne really did care about her and wanted to be the first  _real_  friend she'd ever had.

Tabitha also realized she was ruining her life just as her parents had ruined theirs and the thought that she'd nearly been raped by five guys made her reconsider her idea of a good time and she'd stopped drinking so much and hanging out at those kind of parties. She knew Rahne wasn't going to stop following her and for the first time in her life, she stopped to consider what effect her actions were having on other people. Tabitha would never forgive herself if something happened to Rahne. She was beginning to truly understand how special Rahne was; she respected her now and she was glad they were friends. She also began to notice that as strong as Rahne seemed to be, she was hurting inside as well and Tabitha wanted to help her, but she didn’t know how.

"Tha' new haircut looks great on ye Tabby." Rahne said as they walked up the driveway.

"Thanks, I thought it was time for a change." she said. Her hair had been long, but now she'd gotten it cut  _really_ short and it did looked great on her.

"Yeah and ya helped some poor kid with cancer too." Sam reminded her as he leaned over and kissed her again.

"That's really what made me go through with it...and I'm really glad I did." she said as she put her arm around Rahne. Rahne had told her she could donate it and she was glad she could help someone and look good doing it.

"Tabitha, you've got a visitor." Jean-Paul said as he greeted them at the door. "He's in the old sitting room." he added, nodding toward the door.

**The Old Sitting Room**

"Why are you here?! You know you're not supposed to have any contact with me!" Tabitha snapped as she walked in and saw her father.  _'What the hell was Northstar thinking?!'_ She wondered. She thought she'd made it clear to the instructors she never wanted to see either of her parents ever again, especially not her father, she had a restraining order against him. Unfortunately, Jean-Paul had just come back to visit and he didn't know about her father; otherwise he'd never have let him near her.

"You're my daughter; I just wanted to see you again." Martin Smith answered as he held out his arms. The insincerity was evident in his voice and he wasn't fooling anyone, let alone her.

"You're just here because you're broke." Tabitha said bluntly as she took a step back from him. There was no way she was going near him after everything he'd done to her. Sam and Rahne both took a step toward him and gave him looks that could have melted steel.

"What the hell is your problem boy?!" He snapped as he turned to Sam. His real personality was on full display now and he was every bit as hateful as Rahne had imagined he'd be. Sam didn't know anything about Tabitha's life before the institute, he'd only known her about two months, but he knew she didn't get along with parents. Now that he met her father it was easy to see why, he was sloppy, mean-looking and bad tempered; it was almost impossible to believe Tabitha could be related to someone so pathetic. If this guy thought he was going to intimidate Sam Guthrie, he was sadly mistaken, one look in his eyes and Sam knew he was a coward, he'd seen his kind before and he hated guys like him.

"Ya try t' put yer hands on her again and you'll find out." He said coldly as Martin Smith took a step back. "You damn well better back up." Sam hissed. It was obvious from her father's attitude and from what she'd said about no contact with her that he must have abused her and Sam wanted to beat the hell out of him. Rahne was having similar thoughts, but she reached over and put her hand on Sam's arm; she could sense his anger and while she shared his contempt for the man, it would be better if this confrontation ended peacefully.

"I don't have anything for you! Get out and leave me alone! I never want to see you again!" Tabitha yelled. She was ashamed of her father and ashamed of her past, she didn't want anyone to find out what she'd done or where she'd come from, especially not Sam and Rahne. They both treated her with respect and dignity and she didn't want them to know the truth about how he'd forced her to use her powers to help him steal and she didn't want to have to admit she was white-trash from a trailer park.

"So now you think you're too good for me?!" Her dad yelled. "You're a thief! You're nothin' but a white-trash whore just like your mom and..." He never got a chance to finish as Sam slammed his fist into his face and started beating him mercilessly. Rahne let him go for a few moments before she pulled him away; she abhorred violence but knew it was sometimes necessary, especially in this case. This horrible man reminded her of her of Reverend Craig, who she loathed and she felt terrible that he'd said that to Tabitha in front of the others. They'd heard them yelling at each other and had arrived just in time to hear everything. It was obvious from the look on Tabitha's face that she was beyond humiliated, she was completely destroyed. Tabitha broke down crying and pushed her way past the others, followed by Rahne and Sam. The X-Men and other students were shocked, Tabitha always seemed so happy and cheerful; they never would have guessed she had such a horrible life before she came to live with them.

Logan grabbed Martin Smith and dragged him, beaten and bloody, to the front door to throw him out. Logan hurled him down in the driveway and stood over him like an animal about to go in for the kill. "You piece of shit!" He yelled as he kicked him as hard as he could. "You think you're tough beating up little girls?! Let's see how big your balls are now!" Martin lay there gasping and coughing from the force of the blow, if he got out of this alive there was no way he was ever coming back to this place.

Logan walked over and put his boot on his throat. "Now you listen to me and you listen good, you're gonna get up and you're gonna get outta here and you're never gonna hurt her again, or they won't find your body; I promise you that Bub." He said as his claws burst out. Martin Smith forced himself to his feet and scramble to his truck, desperate to escape another savage beating.

"Asshole." Logan muttered as he watched him drive away.  _'Poor kid, she didn't deserve this.'_  Logan thought as he turned and walked back to the house. Tabitha could be a nuisance sometimes, blowing off training, smarting off, sneaking out, and he hated it when she called him "badger" but he'd seen enough to know she was a good kid despite all the clowning around she did.

**Meanwhile**

"Tabitha! Wait!" Sam pleaded as he and Rahne followed her upstairs. They'd only been going out for a short time, but he really wanted their relationship to become serious. He knew Tabitha had her faults and was obviously running from her past, it didn't take a genius to figure that out, but he didn't care. He didn't believe anything her father had said about her, but even if it was all true, he still didn't care, he respected Tabitha because she hadn't allowed herself to give in to anger or self-pity. He respected her because she didn't take things for granted like a lot of the others did; she was one of the few students who didn't rely completely on the professor's generosity.

"Leave me alone Sam; please just go away." Tabitha sobbed as she headed for her room.

"I don't care if everything he said is true! It doesn't matter to me, but you do!" He said in utter desperation.

"Leave me alone!" She cried as she slammed the door and locked it.

"Damn it." He cursed as he turned around and leaned against her door. Rahne came to his side and listened at the door for a moment. She still had the senses of a wolf even in her natural form and there was very little that escaped her notice.

"Let her be." Rahne sighed as she heard Tabitha sobbing. "Ah'll come back later when she's calmed down." She said as they walked back down the hall to Sam's room. Sam had split the skin on his knuckles punching Tabitha's father and Rahne cleaned his wound and bandaged his hand before they both sat down on his bed to talk.

"Is she mad at me because I hit him?" Sam asked as kicked off his boots and lay back on his bed.

"She's nae mad at ye." Rahne said as she tossed her shoes beside his bed and sat there facing him. "She's humiliated; worse than tha' really and Ah know jus' how she feels." She sighed. She knew Tabitha had family problems and she'd been trying to talk to her about it, but Tabitha had been avoiding the subject. Rahne knew she should have been more direct and forthcoming about her own past and she felt like she'd failed Tabitha.

" **That old fool**  beat you on top of everything else?" Sam asked. This day was turning into nightmare, he just found out  _both_  his best friend and his girlfriend had been abused and treated like garbage and there was nothing he could do to make it any better. He didn't know what to say to either of them, he came from a big family that loved each other, what did he know about what they were going through?

"Aye, he did." Rahne said, as a thousand horrible memories flooded back to her. "Tha's why ye ha' tae let me be th' first one tae talk tae her.  Ah know wha' she's feeling right now, be glad ye ne'er will." She added.

"I am." He said as he reached over and held Rahne's hand. She'd told them Reverend Craig treated her badly, she could be moody sometimes and she had emotional outbursts now and then, but Sam hadn't wanted to believe anyone could beat Rahne. She was so sweet and innocent and it really hurt him to know she'd been abused and treated so horribly. He was absolutely sick over what had happened to Tabitha and he couldn't get the image of her beaten, bruised, lonely, unloved and crying in pain and fear out of his mind. It was sickening and he was glad Rahne was there to talk with him and help him deal with it; this level of cruelty was completely alien to him.

They must have talked for an hour before Rahne finally got up and went to check on her roommate. She didn't get any answer when she knocked and she could sense there was no one in the room even though the door was still locked. It smelled like the window was open; she could smell the cold fall air. A horrible thought flashed through Rahne's mind and she kicked the door open, ran to the window and jumped out.

**The Garden**

"Where are ye goin'?!" Rahne yelled as she caught up to Tabitha at the edge of the woods. Tabitha dropped her backpack off her shoulder, sat down and began to cry.

"Away Rahne…I don't know, but I can't stay here, everything he said is true…I'm a thief, I'm white-trash and Sam's not gonna want me anymore." She cried. Rahne fought the urge to slap her.  She was being ridiculous, but she was so emotionally destroyed that she couldn't help it. "I’m worthless Rahne." Tabitha said. "My own mother told me I was an accident." She sobbed.

"Yer're nae an accident! Yer’re nae worthless and yer life is nae a mistake Tabby! Ye were born fer a purpose!" Rahne yelled. "Ye matter tae God and ye matter tae me! Yer're muh friend and Ah love ye!" She cried.

"What do you want with a friend like me?" Tabitha asked as she wiped her eyes. Her life was a total train wreck and nobody ever stayed close to her long, but one look in Rahne's eyes told her she was dead serious. She'd always been there for her and Tabitha realized she  _really_  did care about her; she was the first  _real_  friend she'd ever had.

"Yer're th only one who _really_ understands me." Rahne whispered. "Reverend Craig hurt me tae."

"I'm sorry; oh God, I'm sorry.  All this time you've been trying to help me, but I wouldn't listen...I've been so selfish." She said, realizing how deeply Rahne was suffering.

"Ye were jus' lost and hurt...Ah know, Ah've been there." Rahne said as she put her arm around her. Tabitha was so touched by Rahne's love and concern for her that she started to cry again.

"Let it out Tabby, Ah know how much it hurts." Rahne said.

Tabitha finally broke down and told Rahne about her dad, about his drinking and criminal record; and how badly he'd beaten her when her powers manifested, and every other time she'd made him angry. About how he'd forced her to help him steal by using her powers, about how he'd finally gotten arrested and about how her step mother had rejected her and she'd lived on the street, about how her mom had refused to take her in and abandoned her at the institute. Finally, Tabitha began to cry again, her tears had been suppressed by beatings and insults for too long and now that she had finally found someone who understood her, she couldn't pretend it didn't hurt any longer.

Rahne knew exactly how Tabitha felt and she was glad she could help her new friend, she held her and tried to comfort her, but it wasn't long before she was crying as well. She had come a long way toward getting her life straightened out since Moira and Joseph had saved her, but she still carried emotional scars from her past life and she knew she always would. Rahne told Tabitha about her life, about how her mother had died when she was four. She told her about how Reverend Craig, who she later discovered was her father, had taken her in and abused her for years before she finally became desperate enough to run away one night when she was nine. It was a miracle she'd survived the freezing night on the moor to be found by Joseph and Moira MacTaggart the next morning. Craig had been arrested and exposed as the monster he really was, but justice had come too late as it often does.

It took years to undo the damage he did to her; Rahne was so shy and insecure and so utterly convinced she was worthless and evil when she first came to live with them, that Moira and Joseph wondered if she'd ever be able to have a normal life. Reverend Craig had raised her to be extremely intolerant and judgmental and filled her head with all kinds of blasphemous lies. Reverend MacLaren, the MacTaggart’s pastor in Edinburgh, was horrified by what had happened to Rahne and he devoted himself to leading her back to Christ and teaching her the truth. With her new parent's love and his guidance, she'd come to truly understand God's word. Rahne was now a strong and dedicated Christian, who tried to love everyone, but she wouldn't compromise her beliefs to be accepted and she wasn't afraid to stand up for her faith. Rahne had beaten Reverend Craig; she could have become just like him, but she'd become better than him in every way.

Tabitha had given up on God a long time ago and had tried to pretend she didn't believe, but Rahne's sincerity and her genuine love and compassion for her moved Tabitha in a way nothing else in her life ever had and she opened her heart to the truth. The truth that she wasn't an accident, that her life did have meaning and she'd never be alone again. She had to face the fact that she was only hurting herself with her rebellious behavior; her parents didn't care and they never had. She didn't know where to even begin, she wasn't exactly a model of virtue and she'd always thought of Christians as a bunch of pompous hypocrites, but she couldn't deny what she was feeling. God loved her, he was calling her and she couldn't ignore it, she knew it was time to give her life to him and stop destroying herself.

"I don't want to live like this anymore." Tabitha sobbed.

"God loves ye Tabby and Ah love ye and ye dinnae ha' tae carry this pain by yerself anymore." Rahne told her.

"I love you too Rahne." Tabitha sniffed as she hugged her.

"Let's go home." Rahne said as she dried her eyes and helped Tabitha to her feet.

' _I don't deserve a friend as good as you.'_  Tabitha thought as they walked back to the house. Rahne had been so frantic to find her she hadn't even stopped to put her shoes on and it was cold. Tabitha felt horribly ashamed that she'd tried to run away from her problems and her family. Rahne was always looking out for her, but she'd just treated her cruelly and she didn't feel like she deserved Rahne's love and forgiveness. Still, Rahne always seemed to be able to speak to her with such wisdom and love that she felt better until she saw Sam coming to meet them. She'd hoped to get back before he knew what she'd done, but now he knew how thoughtless she'd been.

"I'm sorry Sam." Tabitha said as he took her in his arms and held her close. Rahne took Tabitha's backpack and left them to talk things over. "It's true, I was a thief…I'm white-trash from a trailer park."

"Yer're not and I don't ever want t' hear ya say that about yerself again." He said emphatically. "Listen, I know we've only been together a little while, but I can see how special ya really are. Anybody else would be bitter and selfish, but yer're always tryin' to help th' others and make 'em happy...even though you’ve been hurtin' so bad inside." Sam said as they walked back toward the house. "Tabitha, I wanna be a part of yer life if you'll still have me, but ya don't have t' hide things like this from me...I love ya fer who ya are and I don't care what ya did or who ya used to be." Sam said. He knew she'd probably had to do a lot of things she wasn't proud of, but all that matter to him was the person she'd become. He'd never felt like this about anyone and he'd been through enough to know what love really was and what it really meant. He wasn't so naive as to think he was doing her any kind of favor and he damn sure wasn't attracted to her because he felt sorry for her and thought she needed protecting. He  _did_ want to protect her because he loved her, but he was attracted to her strength, her independence and her character, he just hoped she felt something  _real_  for him.

"You're sure about this? You don't really know me Sam." Tabitha said, trying to control her emotions. She was so thankful to have found someone as kind, loving and patient as Sam. For a long time she didn't think men like him really existed and after what her father had said; she still couldn't quite believe he'd want anything to do with her. His family wasn't well off, but they were decent and hardworking; they had nothing in common with her awful, dysfunctional family of criminals, drunks and drug-heads.

I know enough." He said emphatically as he reached over and took her hand. "I know I can't get ma mind off ya, I know I'm a better man when I'm around ya...and I know I felt th' same way I did when ma dad died when I realized you were gone." He told her as he looked into her eyes. She had the most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen and he could see how sad and beaten down she was, but there was still a spark of hope and defiance in them. Sam wished he could wipe away all the pain and misery of Tabitha's abusive childhood, but he knew that was impossible, all he could do was treat her with the respect and dignity she deserved and he was going to love her and stand by her no matter what she was going through.

"I love you too Sam and I promise there won't be any more secrets between us." She said as he held her in his arms and the tears started to run down her cheeks again. "I'm not as good as you think I am." She whispered. "I  ** _am_**  selfish and..."

"I  _know_  yer're not perfect and it should be obvious by now that I'm not either." He said as he stopped her. "This is gonna be hard sometimes and a lotta work fer both of us, but yer're worth it." He said as he kissed her. They'd kissed before, but never like this and she knew how much he loved her and how much she loved him.

"You're worth it too." She told him as they continued to hold each other. As Rahne looked down on them from her upstairs window, Sam offered a silent prayer of thanks as he tried to comfort Tabitha.  She loved him and he couldn't ask for more than the wisdom to be the man she needed him to be. He promised her he'd never yell at her, hit her, insult her or even be too busy to spend time with her as they committed to each other.

**The Present**

"That's how we got to be friends, but after everything we've been through together, we're family." Tabitha said as she put her arm around Rahne, ending her reverie. They really were like sisters now and Danielle was deeply hurt that she was no longer Rahne's most trusted companion. It was obvious that Tabitha was closer to Rahne than she'd ever been despite the psychic bond they once shared and Danielle was insanely jealous of her now.

"I wouldnae have made it through th' war without her." Rahne said as she brushed away a tear and hugged Tabitha.

"So, is that sad enough?" Tabitha asked Danielle. It hadn't taken her long to realize Danielle was jealous of her relationship with Rahne and Sam and it made her angry. She trusted Sam, but she still felt insecure, Danielle was his former girlfriend and she was a smart, capable leader as well. Tabitha's life had been filled with disappointment and heartache for so long and Sam and Rahne were the first people who ever believed in her and didn't treat her like a lost cause.  They were the closest thing to family she had and she'd never let anyone take them away from her.

"Did I tell ye I heard from Ric the other day?" Theresa said, quickly changing the subject. Neither of them had a pleasant childhood and Theresa understood Tabitha's feelings, but she didn't want things to turn ugly and she didn't want Rahne to get upset.

"No, how's he doin'?" Sam asked, following her lead.

"Not so good; seems his family has gotten on the bad side of the cartels down there and he has to deal with all that now." She said. Richter had been devastated by Angelica’s death and he’d left the team after the war.  He never wanted to be a soldier, but now he was caught up in another war and the others were concerned for his safety.

"Ric, be careful." Rahne said quietly.

"What happened between you two?" Danielle asked. She'd left before Richter had arrived at the institute, but Rahne had told her she had a new boyfriend in an email and Danielle was really happy for her.

"Ah _really_ dinnae want tae talk about it." Rahne said curtly as she reached for her beer. Danielle decided to let it drop, she didn't want to make Rahne angry and she could see it was clearly a sore subject for her.

"So what happened to that Cable guy who was leading the team?" Danielle asked changing the subject.

"Cable can go to hell." Tabitha said bluntly as she poured herself another glass of beer.  James and Theresa both nodded in silent agreement and Danielle realized she’d hit a nerve with the others.

"After th' war, we decided we were done with Cable and the team split up." Sam explained. "He took Domino, Sage and Bishop with him and went after what's left of Clan Akkaba."

"Anybody heard form Roberto since he moved to L.A.?" Daniel asked after a moment.

"No." Sam said curtly.

"Bobby leaving was the best thing for everyone." James told her.

"What did he do this time?" Danielle asked.

"He got the idea that he should be in charge instead of Sam." James said.

"Bottom line is we need some new blood." Sam said. He felt betrayed by Roberto and he didn't want to dredge up anymore bad memories. He thought they were friends and he never realized Roberto was so jealous of him.

"Yeah, Ric and Allison quitting really put us behind the eight ball." James said grimly.  Shatterstar and Firestar had both died in the war and now there were only four full-time members of X-Force left to defend the school.

"We want ye to come and fight with us Dani, we want ye on X-Force." Theresa said as everyone looked at her expectantly. Danielle suddenly felt very uncomfortable, she knew the question was coming, but that didn’t make her decision any easier.

"I don't think I'm ready." Danielle stammered. "I just got my powers back, I need time to readjust."

"We're not rushing you." James said reassuringly. "But we know it won't take you long to get your edge back and we could really use your help; we don't have anyone with psychic powers now that Cable and Sage are gone." He explained.

"Ye won't have to go on every mission; Rahne's a teacher now too and we'll work it out with both of ye." Theresa said.

"Dani, wha's wrong?" Rahne asked, sensing her apprehension.

"I agree with Scott and Emma.” Danielle said.  “You're endangering the school by attacking Trask Industries and hunting down the Sapien League." She said as an awkward silence descended. Trask Industries' government contracts and status as a "legitimate" business made attacking them a far different matter than attacking the Sapien League, the Reavers, or the Brotherhood and Danielle was worried X-Force might bring down the wrath of SHIELD on the school. Scott and Emma were trying to handle the matter of Trask Industries and their sentinels legally, but after the death of nine million people, Sam and his team weren't willing to trust the courts or the government.

"Is  ** _this_**  what ye learned in college?" Theresa asked sarcastically.  “What would ye have us do Dani? Wait till the Leper Queen burned the school? She was killing innocent people!”

"I know." Danielle said defensively as even Rahne gave her a disdainful look. "But that was complete overkill and bad press that mutants don’t need now.” She said.  “The world hates us after what Apocalypse did and the school is the last safe place left for mutants. If SHIELD ever positively identifies you guys as the ones who hit Trask, they could shut the whole school down and then where would all the kids go?"

"We're trying to prevent another Genosha Dani!" James said indignantly. "I'd say it's an acceptable risk."

"Everybody calm down." Sam said. "Her argument ain't without merit; it's somethin' I've thought about a lot." He admitted. "Dani, we can't just sit on our asses and react to a crisis once its blown up all over us. We have to be proactive now and hit them before they hit us, before they burn th' world like they burned Genosha." He said emphatically. 

"What we're doing is no different from the government sending the SEALs after terrorists." Tabitha said.

"We get why Cyclops wants the X-Men to be a  _"superhero team"_  again. God knows mutants could use some good publicity after the war, but now they're too afraid to do wha' needs to be done." Theresa said. They'd never been more vulnerable than they were right now and the threats to the school were multiplying.

“I don’t know if I can do what _you_ think needs to be done.” Danielle told her.

"I understand Dani; X-Force ain’t fer everybody." Sam told her.  He was really disappointed, but it was clear that Danielle wasn’t going to be a good fit for X-Force and he didn’t want that to ruin their friendship.

"I’m sorry Sam; I know you need help and I hate myself for telling you no, but I’m just not ok with where you guys are going." Danielle said as she reached for another beer.

“Ya got nothin’ to feel guilty about Dani.  You have to do what’s right fer you and I’ve already got a new psychic lined up.” Sam said, trying to ease her conscience. He really needed a psychic to balance out the team so he'd recruited his friend Michael Holmes to be the team's psychic. The former Avenger and SHIELD Ranger was trained in everything from psychic warfare to data manipulation and his "jack of all trades" skill set was a huge bonus to the team.

"Wait…what?” James asked suspiciously. “Why haven’t you said anything about this before?” He asked.

“I was pickin’ ma moment.” Sam said.

"You didn't." James groaned as he looked at Sam.

"I did." Sam said, grinning like a jackass eating saw-briars.

"I’m sorry Terry, but I need real beer now.” James said indignantly as he downed what was left of Sam and Tabitha’s pitcher. Theresa was a recovering alcoholic so James had switched to non-alcoholic drinks with her, but this was an exception.

"I know we need help, but did you _have_ to call that armor-plated smart ass?” James asked. He didn't _really_   _hate_  Mike, but they had constantly antagonized each other on their joint missions during the war.

"Yeah, I did." Sam said becoming serious again. “There’s nobody else with his level of training that’d be willing to come out here, put up with a bunch of dysfunctional mutants, and probably get killed.” He said.  Mike had just quit SHIELD and he really didn’t want to fight anymore, but once he’d seen what Sam was up against, he’d committed himself to X-Force for as long as he was needed.

“Fair point; when’s he coming?” James asked.  He respected Mike even if he didn’t always like him and Sam was right; they needed his help.

“He’ll be here tomorrow.” Sam replied.

"Who?" Danielle asked. "Who'll be here tomorrow?"

"Iron Guardian." James said.

“Never heard of him.” Danielle said.

“He’s an Avenger Dani; he helped us durin’ th’ war.” Sam explained.

“What the hell Sam?!” Danielle exclaimed. “Some of the kids lost family in The Purge; what are you thinking bringing an Avenger to the school?!” She asked incredulously.

The Avengers tried to save Genosha Dani.” Sam said.

“That’s not what I heard.” Danielle retorted.

“We were there Dani, we saw it.” Rahne told her.  “Th’ sentinels went rogue; they attacked SHIELD and the Avengers too.” She explained.  Danielle was taken aback for a moment; she’d been told that SHIELD attacked Genosha after Exodus refused their demands.  Avengers dying trying to save the Genoshans meant a lot of the things she’d believed about them for the last few years were a lie and she didn’t want to accept that.

“You’re missing the point! The school is supposed to be for _mutants_.” Danielle explained.  “Th kids need a safe space away from the flat scans and their twisted science freaks.”

“Look Dani, if you want a _safe space_ you can go back t’ college.” Sam said, getting aggravated. “Mike’s a peak human, not a science freak.” He said.

“That’s even worse Sam.” Danielle said indignantly.  There was speculation in the scientific community that the Peak Humans might be nature’s response to the mutants since they were essentially and invasive alien species. This was still unconfirmed and it wasn’t widely reported, but she was still unnerved by the idea and the more extreme elements in the mutant community were starting to take notice.

“Well, he’s th’ best we’ve got.” Sam said bluntly. "Mike went through hell in th’ war and he ain’t got a thing to gain but enemies by helpin’ us, so I think th’ the least **you** can do is give him a chance." Sam told her. Sam had a special relationship with Mike after their missions together during the war. A bottle of whiskey and a lot of sad stories later, Sam realized that Mike was really the only person he’d ever met that truly understood what he was going through leading X-Force.  Mike felt the same way about Sam and he was glad he’d finally found someone he could be completely honest with about his struggles as the leader of the Fallen Angels squad.

“Fine Sam; it’s your team now anyway.” Danielle said as she grabbed her beer and walked out the side door onto the deck overlooking the Trinity River.  She couldn’t believe what she’d just heard and she needed some time to deal with everything.

“Help me out here, because I’m having a really hard time figuring out why ya’ll were so happy she came back.” Tabitha said after Danielle had gone outside. She’d questioned their judgment, questioned Sam’s leadership and insulted Mike before she’d even met him. 

“She wasnae always like tha’ Tabby.” Rahne said sorrowfully.  She was shocked by Danielle’s attitude toward Mike and the Avengers and she realized she must have fallen in with the wrong crowd in college.

“She sounds like a bigot!” Tabitha said.

“Ah know.” Rahne admitted.

“I’m afraid some of the others are going to feel the same way about Mike after everything that’s happened with Mutant Town and Camp X-Ray.” Theresa said.

“What do you want me to do Terry?” Sam asked, exasperated. “We don’t have another choice; we need a psychic.” He said.

“I’m glad he’s coming.” Theresa said adamantly. “I just want ye to be ready fer the blowback when he gets here.” She said.

“Ah hope _he’s_ ready.” Rahne said.

“Don’t worry about Mike, he’s tough as nails and he knows what he’s gettin’ into comin’ here.” Sam told her. “He told me he knew there’d be trouble, but that God told him to come out here and help us.” He said.

“Really?” Rahne asked.

“Yeah, Mike’s serious about his faith; in fact he’s th’ only person I’ve ever met besides you that’d say grace over an MRE.” He said, making them all laugh. Sam believed in God and he was thankful for all his blessings, but he found it just about impossible to be thankful for an MRE. James said that it stood for **M** eals **R** ejected by **E** verybody and they all believed it.  Cable had fed them tons of them during the war and they all hoped they never had to eat one again.

“It’s getting late and we’ve got an early flight.” James said as he and Theresa got up. “We’re calling it a night guys.” He said as they headed for the restrooms.

“Be safe.” Sam said as he, Tabitha and Rahne got up as well.

“Sam, Ah can do more tae help th’ team.” Rahne said reluctantly. 

“No Rahne, you’re doin’ enough already.” Sam said as he put his arm around her. “I know you never wanted t’ fight, but you’ve always been th’ strongest and th’ bravest and you’ve given more than anybody has th’ right t’ ask of you.” He said.  “I want you t’ finish nursin’ school then I want you t’ get out of th’ crazy and do somethin’ that’ll make you happy.”

“We all do babe; we’re proud of you.” Tabitha said.  “Besides, the schools gonna go public soon and those little brats are gonna need a good mentor; I can't think of a better one than you.” She said as she hugged her friend. “Helping those kids is even more important than the missions." She reminded her.

“Ah know; its jus’…what if somethin’ happens and Ah’m nae there tae help?” She asked.

“Hey, we’re not _that_ clumsy and you’ll still get to go on all the really awful missions.” Tabitha said as Sam nodded.

“We’re gonna be ok Rahne.” He said reassuringly. “Why don’t you go see if Dani’s done pouting yet?”

“Aye, Ah might be a minute. Dinnae wait fer us.” Rahne said as she picked up her beer and headed for the deck.

**The Deck**

“Wha’ was all tha’ aboot Dani?” Rahne asked as she joined her friend on the deck. Danielle was staring out into the night sky with a troubled look on her face.  Rahne was already worried about her after they’d briefly linked minds the night before, but after what Danielle just said she was more concerned than ever.

“I don’t know who you guys are anymore.” Danielle said as she finished her beer. 

“We’re still yer family.” Rahne said, trying to comfort her.  She was really hurt by that remark, but she knew the past three years had been terrible for Danielle. She'd lost her powers and with them her sense of identity. She'd tried to rebuild her life, but she must have felt she didn't belong anywhere and she'd clearly been depressed and angry for a long time. Now Danielle had her powers and her life back; she had a purpose again, but her friends had changed so much since she'd been away that she felt like an outsider.

“You’ve changed Rahne; what happened to you?” Danielle asked her.

“Ah made it home from th’ war Dani and Ah’m not lettin’ anythin’ hold me back from livin’ th’ way Ah’ve always wanted tae.” Rahne told her.  “Ah spent so much of muh life bein’ consumed by fear and guilt because of th’ lies he told me, but now Ah’m finally nae afraid of _who_ Ah am.” She explained.  Rahne had finally worked up the courage to discover the truth about her biological mother after the war when she’d returned to Scotland for treatment.  Most of what Reverend Craig had told her wasn’t true and Rahne finally felt free.  She could finally express herself as a brave young woman rather than a wolf and she embraced and enjoyed the wild side of her personality now. 

“Ah thought ye’d be happy fer me.” Rahne said after a moment.

“I mean this X-Force business. You’re not some kind of furry commando; why are you still involved in this after the war?” Danielle asked.

“Because Leper Queen was burnin’ kids alive and th’ X-Men weren’t movin’ fast enough.” Rahne said tersely. “Ah prayed Ah’d ne’er have tae raise muh hand against another livin’ soul again after th’ war, but people were gettin’ hurt and muh friends needed muh help.” She said.

“Ok, but…”

“Dani stop!” Rahne snapped. “We brought ye out here tae welcome ye home, nae tae be lectured!  We’ve been fightin’ fer our lives while ye’ve been safe away at school so wha’ do ye know about it anyway?!” She asked.

“I know I’m worried about you!” Danielle shot back. “You’re my friend! I love you and I don’t want to see you get killed or spend the rest of your life in prison!”

“Ah love ye tae Dani.” Rahne said.  “Ah’m sorry if Ah sounded harsh, but this was nae an easy decision fer any of us.” She told her.  “We know wha’ could happen, but we’re runnin’ out of room in our graveyard and we’d rather it was us there than th’ wee bairns.” She said.

"I’m sorry too Rahne. I know you never wanted this.” Danielle said as she hugged her.  She realized she might have been too harsh in her judgment of Rahne and the others.  She really didn’t know what they’d been through since she’d been gone, but in her heart she knew none of them wanted to be outlaws.

“Ah jus’ want tae be normal.” Rahne said as she held her. “Ah’m gettin’ out…Ah jus’ cannae leave Sam and Tabby right now.” She said.

“You’re a good friend Rahne; I wish I could have been there for _you_ during the war." Danielle admitted.  She’d felt guilty ever since she’d left, but now she felt even worse seeing how deeply affected her friends were by the war. It was naïve, but she thought things would have been different for them if she’d been there.

"Dinnae do tha’ tae yerself Danielle, Ah'm glad ye were nae a part of tha'…it changed all of us, and nae fer th better." Rahne told her. "Ah know things are different now, but this is still yer home, we’re still yer family and we all still love ye." She said. She'd tried to keep Danielle from leaving and she'd cried for a month after she had; she was the big sister she'd never had and it nearly killed Rahne to lose her. She'd been there to comfort her when she was homesick and struggling to accept that she was a mutant, but now it was Rahne's turn to offer love and support to Danielle.

**Jean Grey School**

**-Later that Night-**

' _I didn't take anything from her and I won't let her take anything from me.'_  Tabitha thought as she lay there in bed. She knew it was foolish to feel threatened by Danielle; after all, Sam loved her and he'd never do anything to hurt her and neither would Rahne. Still, they were the first people to ever treat her with respect and dignity and the thought that they might be taken away from her was the only thing that really frightened her anymore.

"I love you." Sam said as he lay down next to her and kissed her on the cheek. Tabitha rolled over facing him as he put his arm around her and snuggled next to her.

"I love you too." She said as she gently rubbed her hand across his bare chest.

"Yer're not worried about Dani coming back are ya?" Sam asked.

"No."

"Good." He said as he held her a little closer. "I know she's been through hell these last three years, but I swear, I don't know her anymore." He sighed. "I was hopin’ she'd be our voice to th' X-Men; somebody who could walk in both worlds, but she sounded just like Emma tonight."

"Rahne can do that." Tabitha told him.

"They treat her like she’s still a kid." He said bluntly. "If Jean was still alive, _she'd_ listen to her, but Scott’s too arrogant and Emma hates her." He said.

"I miss Jean." Tabitha sighed. "She was the only thing close to a mother I've ever had."

"I'm scared to think what's gonna happen t' this place when Xavier dies." Sam said. "We're only here because he feels guilty about what happened to us. Once he's gone, Scott will throw us out and it's gonna be even harder to keep these kids safe."

"Scott can’t throw us out, this is **our** base." Tabitha said.

"This is Forge’s property and he gave it to Xavier and Ro to rebuild th’ school." Sam reminded her.  Forge had allowed Cable and X-Force to use his secret research facility as a base after they’d left the institute.  He still supported X-Force and believed in their mission, but he’d turned the property over to Xavier and Ororo so they could build a new school and help a new generation of young mutants.

"I wish Ro was team leader instead of head mistress; she knows what it takes to keep these kids safe; she gets it." She told him.

"Yeah, she does; maybe I can still work somethin' out with her." Sam said.

"I know you can." Tabitha told him. "You'll find a way through this; you always do." She said as she snuggled close.

"I love you." He said as she kissed him and they settled in for the night.

 

**Next Issue: Wrath arrives, but he's not alone. Surge makes her X-Men: Guardians debut!**


	3. Fallen Angel

Disclaimer: Marvel owns everything here except Wrath.

A/N: An alternate version of the X-Men and X-Force from Earth 730.

Apocalypse has been defeated, but the Millennium War has cost the X-Men dearly.  With the Xavier Institute reduced to ashes and only two surviving psychics, the X-Men have been forced to relocate to the X-Force base in Dallas Texas. Headmistress Storm is preparing to open a new school for young mutants in the hope of salvaging Xavier’s dream and uniting the teams, but the growing conflict between Cannonball’s X-Force and Cyclops’ X-Men has put the future in jeopardy.

**Previously**

Danielle Moonstar has accepted Headmistress Ororo Munro’s offer to become a teacher at the Jean Grey School in Dallas Texas. Danielle was depowered by Colonel Stryker, head of the  **M** utant  **R** esponse  **D** ivision, several years earlier. She left behind her best friend, Rahne MacTaggart and her adopted family, the New Mutants, hurting them all deeply. She just had her powers restored by Josh Foley a Class 5 healer after a brutal assault by the Reavers.

Danielle is happy to be reunited with her friends, especially Rahne, but she's shocked by how much they've changed since the war. She also feels threatened by Tabitha Smith who has become Rahne's best friend during her absence as well as Sam Guthrie's girlfriend. Danielle felt that she didn't belong anymore and Rahne tried to comfort her, but it did little to ease her resentment of Tabitha. Sam also revealed that X-Force has a new member, but he isn't a mutant, leading Danielle to question why he’s joining.

This Issue:

X-Force: Sam Guthrie-Cannonball, Tabitha Smith-Boomer, Michael Holmes-Wrath, Rahne MacTaggart-Wolfsbane

X-Men: James Howlett-Wolverine, James Bradley-Dr. Nemesis, Jonathan Silvercloud-Forge

Faculty Members: Danielle Moonstar-Mirage

Students: Noriko Ashida-Surge, Julian Keller-Hellion, Josh Foley-Elixir, Cessily Kincaid-Mercury, Laura Kinney-X-23, David Alleyne-Prodigy

 **X-Men - Guardians # 3** **: Fallen Angel**

 **Jean** **Grey School – Dallas Texas**

"This is private property; get out of here before I call the police." Julian said bluntly to the Asian girl standing on the other side of the school's main gate. He'd been out for a run and had come upon this blue haired girl in dirty, tattered clothes looking forlornly at the locked gate, defaced by anti-mutant graffiti. She was filthy, he could smell her from where he was standing, and he thought she must be an addict so he didn't want to have anything to do with her.

"Wait! I need help! Please let me in!" She pleaded.

"I don't have any change, go look for a handout somewhere else." He scoffed as he turned and walked back up the driveway toward the main building. The poor girl turned and started to walk back toward the highway as she began to cry. She'd thought the Jean Grey School was supposed to be a safe place for people like her, but they didn't want her either.

 _'What am I supposed to do now? I can't keep living like this.'_ She thought. Strong as she was, she'd hit rock-bottom and she felt like giving up, she didn't know what to do or where to go now. Her family had disowned her, she was homeless, hungry and no one cared about her at all. She was almost back to the main road when she looked up and saw an orange Boss Mustang coming toward her, so she walked to the side of the driveway to let it pass, but it slowed down and stopped.

 _'What now?'_  she thought as the driver got out and walked toward her. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, he was white and about 6'2" and 230lbs of pure muscle. He was wearing cargo shorts, athletic shoes and a t-shirt. He had a kind look in his eyes, but the scar running down his forehead, through his eyebrow and onto his cheek along with his military haircut made him seem intimidating.

' _You mess with me and you'll regret it.'_  She thought as she backed away.

"You need help?" He asked in a very deep voice, with a very heavy southern accent. She took another step back; life on the street had taught her not to trust anyone, especially not some guy offering to  _"help"_  her.

"Back off or you can ride the lightning." She said coldly as he eyes began to glow blue.

"Whoa, it's alright." He said. "I'm not some pervert, I'm with th' X-Men…what else would I be doin' here?" He asked, trying to reassure her. He could sense her fear and anxiety with his telepathy, but it was clear she was tough and resourceful as well and she'd fight if she had to.

"You want to make fun of me too?" She asked angrily as she wiped her eyes. She was mortified he'd seen her crying, but she was so beaten down she just couldn't help it.

"No." He said emphatically. "I want you to come back with me." He said, trying to reassure her.

"I'm not welcome." She told him, unable to hide the pain in her voice.

"Who told you that?" He asked. She was about the same age as his youngest sister and it was breaking his heart to see her homeless, hungry and treated so badly. She was a mess and she smelled so awful he was about to puke, but he had to help her.

"That asshole at the gate." She told him.

"Whoever that was, he doesn't speak fer th' school." He told her. "They won't turn ya away; I'm not even a mutant, but they accepted me."

"So…what? You're some kind of superhero then?" She asked. She was still a little unsure; he seemed like a nice guy and she wanted to trust him, but she wasn't naive. She'd been on the street too long and seen too much to let her guard down so quickly.

"Well, I _was_ with th' Avengers fer a while." He told her. He hadn't left under the best circumstances and he wasn't one to brag, but he thought it would help her trust him. There were a lot of Avenger teams and most of them didn't get much recognition, but just being an Avenger carried a certain amount of prestige even if you weren't on the main teams with Captain America and Falcon.

"What team?" She asked. She was beginning to feel more comfortable now; she knew she could trust him if he was _really_ an Avenger.

"Fallen Angels." He told her. "We helped save Tokyo a few years ago."

"I know, I'm from Tokyo." She told him. The Fallen Angels had just graduated from the Avengers Academy and were still a junior team at the time, but they'd helped Japan's hero's smash the extra dimensional aliens and their giant beast that was attacking Tokyo. He went by the codename Iron Guardian back then and his teammates were Songbird, Justice, Dark Hawk and Bedlam. She was ten at the time and she'd been almost as impressed with them as she was with the Japanese Avengers.

"You convinced I'm not a pervert now?" He asked.

"Maybe." She said.

"Come on." He said as they walked back to his car. "Recognize this?" He asked as he opened the trunk and pulled out his helmet. She was shocked by how scarred and battered it was now, but she still recognized the helmet and the armor and now she knew everything he'd told her was true and that she could trust him.

"Wow…OK, I believe you." She said. 

"Good, now what's yer name?" He asked.

"Noriko Ashida." She answered. He was really impressed by how well she spoke English and he wondered how long she'd been living in America. She might be homeless, unloved and in a dark place emotionally, but there was a certain strength about her and he respected that.

"You speak really good English Noriko, I'm impressed." He told her. "My Japanese leaves a lot to be desired." He admitted.

"Thanks, what's your real name?" She asked him.

"Mike Holmes." He told her.

"So, why are you here?" She asked. “You’re not a mutant.” She’d heard that there was bad blood between the X-Men and the Avengers after the war and she was surprised to see them apparently working together.

"The X-Men lost most of their psychics in the war." Mike said.  "Cannonball asked me to come help his team deal with a problem." He explained.

" ** _You_** can read minds?" She asked suspiciously. 

"Don’t worry, I’m not gonna go in yer head." He said, trying to reassure her. No one was really comfortable around telepaths and he really couldn’t blame them.

"I have enough bad memories of my own; I don't need anyone else's." He told her.

"I thought you were another super soldier like Captain America." She said.  Freakspin .com said he was another attempt to recreate Dr. Erskine’s super soldier formula, but they were wrong again.

"I’m a peak human too, but I was born this way. My strength and telepathy are all natural." He explained. He might not be the most physically intimidating Avenger, but his peak human strength, agility, durability and mental capacity made him a dangerous opponent.

"How 'bout you? What are yer powers?" He asked her.

"I absorb electricity." Noriko said nervously. She couldn't control the absorption and she'd already had several accidents, leading to her current situation. She’d completely lost control about three months ago and now she was spending almost everything she could beg or steal on power inhibiting drugs and she was desperate for help.

"You can't control it can ya?" Mike asked. It would certainly explain why she was so filthy and why she hadn't gone to a church or a shelter for help.

"Getouttamyhead!" She yelled as she got angry and her eyes began to glow blue again. She couldn't believe he'd done that to her; he just said he was better than that and she thought he'd lied to her.

"I'm not in yer head, I'm just observant." Mike said, trying to reassure her. He realized just how serious her condition was now that the drugs were wearing off and her speech was becoming erratic.  He knew he had to get her help immediately and he needed her to trust him.

"My best friend Bedlam had a power kinda like yers and he couldn't control it either." He told her. "He even tried takin' electro inhibitors, but nothin' worked till he went to th’ old school in Westchester and saw Dr. McCoy." He said.

"Can he  _really_  help me?" Noriko asked as she began to calm down. She realized she'd overreacted; it was obvious he really wanted to help her and she knew she should trust him.

"Yeah, you don't have to live like this anymore." Mike told her. Noriko hesitated for a moment before she handed him her tattered backpack; everything she had in the world was in there.

"I thought so." Mike said. A bottle of pills had fallen out of the side pocket of her backpack when he tossed it in the trunk next to his duffel bags and armor. "These things ain't good fer you Noriko. They seem like they're helpin', but they'll give you cancer." He told her as he picked up the bottle.

"Idon'thaveachoice!" She cried as tears filled her eyes. "I'llexplodeifIdon'ttakethem!"

"I'm not judging you, but I can't give these back to ya either." He said as he put them in his pocket. "I've seen th' damage these things can do; they nearly killed Bedlam." He told her.

"Ok." Noriko said reluctantly. She didn't realize they were so dangerous, but she really didn't have a choice. Her powers were so unstable; she might have killed herself or someone else if she hadn't taken the pills.

"I promise I’ll take care of you." He said, grateful she was finally willing to trust him.

"I'm sorry, I know I stink. Ican'tstanditeither, but I can't bathe, I'delectrocutemyself." She said as they got in and he rolled down the windows. He'd gone weeks without bathing during the war and he knew how awful she felt so he tried not to make a big deal about it and humiliate her even more.

"It a’int that bad, don't worry about it." He told her. "One time we got slimed by this big ass monster in Times Square; now _that_ was th' worst, it took a week to get th' stink off my armor and th' others had to burn their costumes when we got home."

"What happened? Why aren't you guys still a team?" Noriko asked, straining to control her voice and speak at a normal rate. Mike noticed the screen and the lights on the instrument panel going dim as Noriko began to siphon off power.

"Th' war; a lot's changed since you saw us in Japan." He told her.

"I'msorry." She said.

"It's ok, but it's not somethin' I like to talk about." Mike said. "Here, have somethin' to eat." He said as he handed her a pack of crackers he'd picked up when he'd stopped for gas. He wanted to change the subject and he didn't need telepathy to know Norkio was famished. It really made him angry that someone had chased her away from the school and he couldn't imagine one of the X-Men acting like that. He was deeply affected by all the pain and suffering he'd seen during and after the war and he was going to make sure Noriko got the help she needed.

 _"What the hell do you think you’re doing here Mike?"_  A gruff asked said as they pulled up to the gate and he reached out and hit the call button on the security console.

"Just open th' damn gate Logan; I don’t have t’ explain maself t’ you." Mike said bluntly. He was definitely not looking forward to being under the same roof as Wolverine, but at least they were on separate teams and hopefully they could avoid each other.

**Meanwhile**

"Did he get lost?" Tabitha asked as she joined Sam, Danielle and Rahne on the front steps. Mike should be here by now and she and Sam had plans for the afternoon; she didn't want to be waiting all day. It was so hard for them to get a quiet moment together anymore between his duties as leader, her classes, their training and missions.

"He's coming." Sam reassured her.

"Hey Rahne, Mike's been through a lot, but give him a chance ok?" Tabitha asked. "He's almost as hot as Sam and he's Christian too; ya'll might be really happy together."

"Maybe." Rahne said. She was lonely and she really wanted a relationship like Tabitha had with Sam, but it was hard to be optimistic after everything she'd been through. Her first love had died in her arms after saving her life and Richter had betrayed her trust. Rahne knew better than to get her hopes up after all that and she still had some emotional issues from the war that most guys wouldn't want to deal with.

"I know it hurts babe, but you can't give up; I wouldn't have Sam if I had." Tabitha said quietly as she put her hand on Rahne's shoulder. She been there to comfort her friend after her relationship with Richter ended and she knew her confidence was still a little shaken.

"Thanks Tabby." Rahne said appreciatively as she reached up and put her hand on Tabitha's. Tabitha always seemed to know how to cheer her up and Rahne was so thankful she was a part of her life. Tabitha hadn't been exaggerating the night before when she called Rahne her sister. Rahne felt the same way after everything they'd been through together and their love for each other was much deeper than friendship.

"Be careful furtop, superhero relationships almost never work out." Danielle said glumly. All of her relationships had been unfulfilling with the exception of Sam and she was still kicking herself for breaking it off with him. Seeing how Tabitha had taken her place with both Sam and Rahne filled her with jealousy and anger at how her life had turned out.

"We make it work out." Sam said emphatically, putting her arm around Tabitha. Sam was completely committed to Tabitha and their relationship always came first despite his responsibilities as leader. It wasn't easy and they had their arguments, but they were in love and he wasn’t going to let anything come between them.

"Where are Terry and James?" Danielle asked; eager to change the subject. She hadn't seen them all morning and she'd gotten up early; she couldn't understand why they weren't here to meet their new teammate.

"Terry's dad came to Atlanta for a case a few days ago; Jimmy took her to see him." Sam explained. "He's gonna be leaving tomorrow."

"Are they getting along any better?" She asked.

"Yeah, a little bit." Sam said. He loved his father and he missed him every day; he felt terrible that Theresa's father had ruined their relationship with alcoholism. Danielle was happy to hear that, they'd all lost one or both parents and it made her feel good to know that Theresa and her father were making progress.

"Mike's here!" Tabitha said as she saw his car coming down the driveway.

"Ah like th' car." Rahne said as Mike and Noriko pulled up and parked in the driveway. It was the same color as her bike, so of course she liked it and it was obvious from the roar of the engine that it had some special work done to it as well. Rahne’s adopted father, Joseph MacTaggart, loved to ride motorcycles and he had taught her how to ride and work on engines.

"Welcome to X-Force Mike." Sam said as he, Tabitha, Danielle and Rahne came to greet him.

"Thanks, Sam." Mike said as he shook hands with him. He'd been on edge all day and seeing his friend again made him feel a little better. He'd left behind his whole life when he left SHIELD and the Avengers and he knew that not everyone here would be as open minded about him as Sam and Tabitha.

“Good to see you again Mike.” Tabitha said as she hugged him.

“You too Tabitha.” Mike said as he returned her embrace.

"Mike, meet Rahne MacTaggart, our medic, and Danielle Moonstar, she teaches here." Sam said as he introduced them.  "Who’s that you brought with you?" He asked as he noticed Noriko standing beside his car looking really uncomfortable _._

"That’s Noriko; she’s needs a home and some serious help with her powers." Mike told them.

"How bad off is she?" Rahne asked.

"Really bad; she can't control how much electricity she absorbs and she'll blow sky-high if we don't hurry." Mike warned.  "We need to get her to th’ Beast **now**."

"I’ll take care of her." Tabitha said as she walked over to where Noriko was standing. She’d taken one look at the scared, dirty, homeless girl and her heart had broken as she remembered her own life on the streets.

"Hey Noriko, I’m…"

“Boomer. I know, I used to follow your blog and your Facebook page.” Noriko told her.  Tabitha had been pretty active on social media before the war and she was a popular super heroine for a lot of young mutants and baselines. 

“Did you know I lived on the streets for a while too?” Tabitha asked her.

“No.” Noriko said, surprised.

“My dad abused me so I ran away.” Tabitha admitted. “I don’t know what you ran from Noriko, but I know how bad it is out there.” She said.  "You don’t have to run anymore, you’re home now.”

“Thank you.” Noriko said.  “My powers are out of control and I don’t know what to do.” She admitted as she wiped her eyes.

“I know, Mike told us.” Tabitha said as she tried to comfort her. “Get your things and I'll take you to see the Beast; he'll fix your powers and I’ll help you get settled." Tabitha said as she put her arm around Noriko's shoulders and they walked back to Mike's car. Noriko was touched, most people couldn't stand to be within ten feet of her, but Tabitha didn’t care about the smell, she cared about her.

"Thank ye fer bringing her here." Rahne said as she looked at Mike admiringly. He really seemed like a nice guy and she had to admit she liked his voice and thought he was handsome despite the scar on his face.

"I found her at th' end of th' drive; she said some punk told her she wasn't welcome here." Mike said.

"If I ever find out who it was; they'll regret it." Danielle said angrily. Noriko was a mess, but the school was open to any mutant who needed help and she was appalled someone had turned her away like that.

"Is she a war orphan?" Rahne asked.

"No, she's actually from Tokyo." Mike told her "I don’t know how she ended up over here and on th' street, but she's been takin' electro-inhibitors." He said; handing Rahne the bottle he'd taken from Noriko.

"Och, these bloody things will kill her." Rahne said examining the bottle.

"I know, but she probably hasn't been on 'em long enough t' do permanent damage." He said. "I don't think she's eaten anything in a day or two, can you and Tabitha feed her and give her a bath too?" He asked.

"Dinnae worry about yer friend, we'll take care of her." Rahne said as Tabitha and Noriko returned from retrieving her backpack. Mike had never met Rahne, but he’d heard how brave and kind she was from some of the Avengers she’d saved in the war and he felt better knowing she was going to help Noriko.

"Heyasshole!Whatkindofmutantareyouanywayleavingmeoutherelikethat!?" Noriko exclaimed as Julian and Josh walked down the steps and headed out to the garage.

“What are you saying? Speak English.” Julian scoffed as Josh smirked. Noriko was furious and she started to confront him, but Mike beat her to it. It was like someone had flipped a switch and his demeanor changed instantly as he walked up and grabbed Julian by the shoulder.

"Hey smart-ass!" Mike snapped. "You owe my friend an apology!" He yelled as he shoved him back toward Noriko. Julian was to shocked to react and he knew he was in big trouble as he found himself face to face with the poor girl he’d been so mean to and most of X-Force.

"What the hell Mike?!" Danielle exclaimed. "You need to explain yourself!" She said sternly as she glared at him.

"This arrogant punk is gonna apologize fer tellin’ her she wasn’t welcome." Mike snapped. "That clear enough fer ya Danielle?" He asked sarcastically.

"I…I don't know what you're talking about." Julian stammered as Mike gave him a disdainful look.

“Don’t try me boy.” Mike growled.

"Liar! Ye apologize tae her right now!" Rahne said angrily. Her senses were so acute, even in her natural form, that it was impossible to lie to her. She was disgusted by Julian's arrogance and she was glad Mike had come by when he did or poor Noriko would still be on the street. She and most of her friends had come from broken homes and poverty and they didn't take anything for granted the way Julian did.

"Tell her you're sorry and get your butt back in the house, you're not going anywhere except Storm's office." Danielle ordered. As a teacher  _and_ a former New Mutant, she commanded the respect of the new students and even Julian wasn't arrogant enough to defy her.

"I'm sorry." Julian said grudgingly. He was absolutely mortified and Noriko took a little pleasure in his humiliation. Danielle excused herself and marched him back inside to see the headmistress. She was furious with Julian for treating Noriko so disrespectfully and she wasn't really thrilled with the way Mike had handled the situation either. She wasn't impressed by the tough-guy attitude he'd displayed confronting Julian and despite the fact he'd helped Noriko, she thought he was a jerk.

"Welcome to mutant school." Sam said as he shook his head and turned back to Mike. "Come on, I’ll show you around." He said.

**X-Force Hangar**

**-Later-**

“I’m impressed Sam; ya’ll have th’ tools and th’ talent.” Mike said as he and Sam walked into the hangar.  Sam had given him a tour of school’s lower levels including the armory, the Danger Room and the command center.

Mike knew Sam, aka Cannonball was a powerful fighter and nearly indestructible, but his ability to lead, plan and improvise was amazing. Tabitha's plasma powers were devastating, and she had been trained by Sage, so she was skilled in hacking and data manipulation as well. "Boomer" might be impulsive and the clown of the group, but she was not to be taken lightly and she had Mike's respect. Theresa, aka Siryn was a capable leader as well; fully able to lead a squad if the team was spilt and her sonic screams could level buildings and foes alike. James, aka Warpath was a tank, almost unstoppable with strength that made even Hulk take notice. His tracking abilities were second only to Rahne's and his survival training had saved the team on several occasions. Rahne aka Wolfsbane might be small, but she was a terrifying opponent with superhuman strength, razor-sharp claws as well as superhuman agility and healing. Rahne was the best tracker on the team, but she'd also been trained in emergency medicine by her mother, Dr. Moira MacTaggart and she'd saved the lives of her teammates as well as several Avengers during the war.

“We’ve been lacking in talent fer a while now Mike.” Sam admitted. “We can’t do anything more against Trask without riskin’ th’ future of th’ school…yer’re th’ last chance we’ve got.” He said. Mike was an excellent fighter with years of experience, but his telepathic powers were his main contribution to the team. Mike was skilled at psychic interrogation and the fact he wasn’t a mutant made him ideal for covert missions. His special operations training from SHIELD was a huge advantage to the team as well.  He was cross trained in multiple skill sets, from demolitions to data manipulation and while he might not be the strongest fighter or a master of any one discipline he could quickly adapt to any mission.

“If Trask is still workin’ on Nimrod, I’ll find out.” Mike said.

“I just wish I didn’t have to send ya in there alone.” Sam said.  He’d lost two teammates in battle during the war and the thought of burying another friend made him feel sick.   

“Nimrod’s already responsible fer two wars and a genocide. I’ll do whatever it takes to stop it from ever bein’ built in this timeline.” Mike said darkly. Nimrod had come from the future; from a dark and terrible timeline triggered by the Genoshan War. Designed to be the ultimate hunter and killer of mutants, the machine had become self-aware and rejected its programming to defend baseline humans. Nimrod and the sentinels had unleashed a holocaust on the earth, killing billions before a team of Secret Avengers found a way to defeat them. With annihilation inevitable, Nimrod took Doctor Doom’s chrono-inhibitor and fled back through time with the remaining sentinels to prevent their defeat.

“I thought Genosha was the worst thing I’d ever see.” Sam said. He was still haunted by what he'd seen on Genosha; there were bodies everywhere, burned, mangled bodies everywhere you looked.  The sight of those dead kids, their faces twisted in fear and agony, still kept him up some nights all these years later.

Genosha had been a threat under Magneto’s rule, but after his defeat by the X-Men things got even worse when the mutant supremacist Exodus came to power.  Nimrod's plan was masterfully executed, it had chosen the perfect moment to strike with Genosha and SHIELD on the brink of war.  The Genoshans thought the sentinels were the first wave of an invasion force and they’d attacked the Avengers and the SHIELD fleet when they’d come to their aid.  The sentinels succeeded in wiping out nine million mutants and inflicting heavy losses on SHIELD and the Avengers before they were finally defeated.  Word spread that SHIELD had attacked Genosha, enraging the world’s remaining mutants and setting the stage for the Millennium War.

“So did I.” Mike sighed. Exodus and the remaining members of the Brotherhood had awakened Apocalypse after the fall of Genosha to take revenge on the baseline humans. Apocalypse portrayed himself as a "mutant messiah" who had been blessed by the Celestials and come to deliver his people and mutants had flocked to him. They unleashed a mutant anti-Christ armed with Celestial technology buried for centuries under the sands of Egypt.  Apocalypse’s army destroyed New York City and killed millions before he was finally defeated by the Avengers and X-Force. Now mutants were hated because of the war and things looked worse than ever for them since the sentinels had been reactivated.

"Mike, after everything that’s happened, I don’t know if th' professor's dream is still possible, but I still believe it's worth fightin' fer." Sam said after a moment. “We have to protect this place; these kids are th’ last chance we’ve got t’ show th’ world what good mutants can do.” He said.  “Thank you fer standn’ with us…I know how tired you are of fightin’ and you don’t have to be here.” He said appreciatively.

“I want a better world fer our kids Sam. I don’t want mine or yers to grow up feelin’ like they’re inferior because of their DNA.” Mike said. Sam nodded in silent agreement; there were too many baselines who felt mutants weren’t even human and too many mutants who felt they were born better because of their X-Gene.  Sam felt terrible for the current generation of students growing up with all the hate and resentment built up on both sides from the Genoshan Purge and The Millennium War, but he held onto the hope that they could rise above it and help make the world a better place.  

“Yeah, they’re th’ ones we’re fightin’ fer now, but I really wish **we** could to get back to where we were when we were New Mutants and Fallen Angels.” Sam sighed.  “Back then it felt like we were making a difference; like we were _really_ helpin’ people. Back then I didn’t feel filthy after every mission.”

“I know, back then I _really_ thought we’d all work things out; that we could all just be heroes and fight assholes together like my Angels. I never thought we’d end up like this.”  Mike said despondently.  He was deeply concerned that the superhero community had allowed itself to become so divided and poisoned by identity politics; they were supposed to help bring people together and protect everyone.

“Its bad Mike, but maybe we can get that back.” Sam said. “Maybe that starts with us.”

“You believe that?” Mike asked.

“Yeah, I do. I guess all Rahne’s innocence and hope is startin’ to rub off on me again.” Sam said.  “Come on; this pity party ain’t helpin’ anybody and I’ve got an insane engineer and a creepy mad scientist fer ya to meet.” He said as they walked out of the hangar.

**Sub-Level 1**

**The Engineering Bay**

"Forge, I got the rest of the equipment you asked for." David said as carried a crate of parts into the bay. Forge was hard at work on a set of capacitor gauntlets for Noriko so she could control the amount of electricity she absorbed and as always, David was amazed at his skill. He'd been Dr. McCoy's lab assistant for a while now, but he was still in awe of the X-Men's science and engineering teams.

"Thanks David." Forge said. Hank had temporarily stabilized Noriko's powers with an injection of medical nanites, but she only had a few hours before the treatment wore off and he had to hurry.

"Hey Forge, you got a minute?" Sam asked as he and Mike walked into the lab. "I got somebody I want ya to meet." He said. 

"You didn't tell me yer "insane engineer" was th' CEO of Forge Industries." Mike said. His company supplied SHIELD with weapons and equipment and he donated a lot to help wounded veterans so Mike had admired him for a long time.

"I'm mostly retired now." Forge said as they shook hands.  “Sam’s been telling me about you. You’re the one who wears Eddie McDonough’s tritanium armor aren’t you?” He asked.

“Yeah, I’m also th’ one who designed the Iron Hide body suit for it.” Mike said. Edward McDonough aka Hornet had taken a special interest in him when he was teaching at the Avengers Academy and Mike had learned a lot from him.

“Eddie was a good friend of mine, in fact, I bought his lab after he died and Melinda got in financial trouble.” Forge explained. “I also try to hire as many veterans as I can, so I’ve got a position for you if you want to help finish his work.” He said.

“I’d like that if it’s ok with you Sam.” Mike said.

“Go for it Mike.” Sam said.

"Great, we’ll work out the details later. Right now, I've got to finish these capacitors for the new girl before her powers go crazy again." Forge said as he went back to his work. 

"Dr. McCoy can't help her?" Mike asked as he studied Forge's plans for Noriko's capacitor gauntlets. The design was brilliant and he was really impressed that Forge could design and build them so quickly.

"No." Dr. Nemesis said bluntly. He'd just come from the medical bay where he'd been assisting Dr. McCoy and Rahne in stabilizing Noriko's powers. "Her DNA is far too damaged; she'll never be able to control her powers without artificial assistance." He said.

"This is our resident mad scientist, Dr. Nemesis." Sam said. "Doc, this is Mike, he's our new telepath."

"Oh yes, the peak human; I'd like to examine you more closely." Dr. Nemesis said, ignoring Mike's attempt to shake hands. Mike was a little taken aback by Dr. Nemesis; he was wearing fancy white armor, a long white coat, gloves, goggles and a gas mask. He really did seem like a mad scientist and his manners were atrocious.

"This is why you don't have any friends." Forge said. "The minute you meet someone new you want to stick something in their brain."

"I ain’t here to be yer guinea pig." Mike said bluntly.

"You need a complete physical before you take up permanent residence here." Dr. Nemesis told him.

"Seriously?" Mike asked as he turned to Sam.

"Yeah, we a problem with th' brood a few years back." Sam explained. "Had an outbreak of Badoon flu after th' last space mission and one time there was a Skrull…so yeah, you have to get a physical."

"Take care of Noriko, I’ll be back to check on her." Mike said to Forge.

"I will." Forge reassured him.

"I'll leave ya'll to it." Sam said as Mike, David and Dr. Nemesis turned to leave. "Oh and doc, remember, I need  _this_   _one_  back in one piece." He joked as Dr. Nemesis gave him a look.

"This is bullshit." Mike grumbled as he followed Dr. Nemesis and David into the lab.

**The Lab**

"So how can you be a telepath if you're not a mutant?" David asked as he helped Dr. Nemesis prep the medical scanner.

"All baseline humans have the potential to develop telepathy and telekinesis; we don’t need an artificial gene for that."  Mike said.

"Were you born with your powers, or did you change like mutants do?" David asked. He’d never met a peak human before and he was fascinated to learn about his abilities.

"I don't have _powers_ , I’m not a superhuman." Mike explained. "I was always stronger, faster and smarter than th' other kids growin' up, but my telepathy didn’t manifest until I was twelve." He said.

"So you're like a psychic Captain America?" David asked.

"Indeed." Dr. Nemesis said as he stared at him intently, scanning him with his cybernetic eye implants. "He's physically superior to other baseline humans in every way and quite resilient as well, but definitely  ** _not_**  super human." Dr. Nemesis said as he switched to x-ray vision and examined Mike's bones and muscles. He could see multiple healed fractures and over a dozen pieces of shrapnel, but no foreign organisms or implants.

"Let’s get this over with Doc." Mike said. "Do you need a blood sample or somethin'?" He asked. He didn't enjoy being treated like a science project and he had other things to do today.

"No! Nothing so crude as that." Dr. Nemesis said waving off the question like he was shooing flies. "Strip naked and get in the scanner." He ordered.

 _'Yep, this is bullshit.'_  Mike thought as he undressed. David tried not to stare, but Mike’s peak human physique was truly intimidating and he was shocked by the scars he bore from his past battles.

"Don’t make this weird kid." He said stepped inside the scanner. Between the creepy mad doctor and his gawking intern Mike was already aggravated as hell and he’d only just arrived.  This wasn’t a school, it was an insane asylum and it was definitely going to take him a while to get used to it.

**The Engineering Bay**

"His armors been through hell Forge; think you can fix him up after ya help th' new girl?" Sam asked.

"I'll talk to Mike just as soon as I'm done with Noriko's capacitors." Forge said as he worked.  He’d moved Hornet Labs into this main research and development center in Arlington and put Eddie’s niece Melinda in charge.  She should be able to create a new suit of armor for Mike fairly easily now that everything was up and running.

"Forge, I really want to thank you again fer all th’ help, equipment and weapons you've given us; we couldn't keep this fight up without you." Sam told him.

"You don’t have to thank me Sam; especially not after the position I’ve put you in with the X-Men." Forge said. "I know things are bad right now between you and Scott and I’m sorry for that, but I couldn’t leave these kids with nowhere to go." He said.  

"You don’t have to justify yourself to me Forge." Sam said.

"I’ve got another facility in Wyoming that you can use if it comes to that." Forge told him.

"Let’s hope it doesn’t." Sam said.  They’d been living in Dallas for a while now and while Rahne didn’t like how hot it got in the summer, they all agreed they were happier than when they’d lived in New York. 

"AHHHHHH! Doc! What th' hell?!" Mike yelled from the lab, startling both of them.

"Few bugs to work out yet; don't be such a baby." Nemesis said in a distracted tone.

"You know he's insane right?" Forge asked as Sam looked back toward the door.

**Main House – 1 st Floor **

**-Thirty Minutes Later-**

_'What the hell have I gotten myself into?!'_  Mike thought as stepped off the elevator onto the first floor of the main building.  _'I've been here two hours and I'm already taking it in the ass…literally! Damn quack and his "scanner." I ought to go punch Sam in the mouth.'_  He fumed. He'd just spent the last half hour being poked, prodded and examined by Dr. Nemesis, but he hadn't found anything out of the ordinary. Mike hadn't come to the school to be his guinea pig and he had a promise to keep to his friends.

He walked down the hall following the smell of beer and cigars to the living room where he found Logan sitting in a recliner watching a hockey game on television.  They hadn't liked each other for years, but there had always been a grudging respect between the two of them until Laura Kinney had entered their lives two months earlier.

“What do you want Mike?” Logan asked as he turned and looked at him. He was sure he wanted to talk to him about Laura, but he didn’t want him involved in her life.  Mike had become close to the family who’d cared for Laura after the war and Logan was afraid he was going to try to take her back to them.

“I need to talk to Laura.” Mike said.

“Mind your own business.” Logan said gruffly. “She’s my daughter and my responsibility; you don’t need to be involved.” He told him. Every time he looked at Mike’s scarred face it remined him of how he’d failed to protect Laura.  He’d never forgive himself for what Sabertooth had done to her and the guilt was torturing him.

“I promised her family I’d make sure she was safe and that’s a promise I’m going to keep.” Mike said angrily.

“I’m her family!” Logan snapped.

“This is her family too!” Mike shot back as he pulled a small framed photograph of Laura and the Nixon family out of the pocket of his cargo shorts and showed it to Logan.  “They love her and they miss her! They don’t want to take her away from you Logan; they just want to know she’s safe!” Mike said angrily.  “That’s th’ least you owe ‘em.” He told him.

“You can talk to her Mike.” Logan said grudgingly.  “But be careful what you say.” He warned him.  Mike nodded and left to find Laura; he was convinced Logan was only caring for her out of a sense of guilt, but he didn’t have the right to interfere since he _was_ Laura’s father.

 

**The Garden**

_‘I hope this goes better than last time.’_ Mike thought as he saw Laura, sitting on the bench under the big oak tree by the lake.  Laura had black hair like her father, but she had her mothers striking green eyes and tan skin.  She was talking to her friend, Cessily Kincaid, a young red haired girl with metallic silver skin.

“Laura, can we talk?” Mike asked as he approached her cautiously. She’d panicked and slashed his face to the bone with her claws the first time they’d met, but he was out of uniform now so maybe she would feel better about trusting him.  He knew how awful her life had been and he wanted to offer her some comfort, not frighten her.

“Why are you here?!” Laura yelled as she caught his scent and leaped to her feet, popping her claws.  She never forgot a scent and she recognized him as the SHIELD Ranger who’d come after her two months ago.  His scent and the scar she’d put on his face were unmistakable and she got ready to defend herself and Cessily.

“I’m not here to hurt you Laura.” Mike said, trying to calm her. “My name is Michael Holmes; I know yer dad and I know yer friend Kiden.” He said.

“Laura, don’t.” Cessily said as she tried to calm her. “He’s Mr. Guthrie’s friend; he’s with X-Force.” She explained.  She’d heard Sam talking to Rahne after class about Mike a few days ago and she recognized his name.

“He is a SHIELD agent.” Laura said suspiciously.

“I used to be.” Mike admitted. “But now I’m with X-Force.”

“What do you want?” Laura asked, still a little unsure of Mike.  His scent told her he was telling the truth and it was clear he didn’t want to harm her, but she was still reluctant to trust him completely.

“I’ve known yer friend Kiden’s family fer a long time.” Mike began.  “I found ‘em after th’ war and made sure they got th’ help they needed. I was th’ one who took ‘em to the **IDP** center in Pittsburgh where they met you.” He explained. “It took a while to get ‘em a new home since her dads paralyzed, but I finally got ‘em a place in Atlanta. I was comin’ to take ‘em there when…we met.” He said.

“I am sorry I hurt you.” Laura said looking at the scar over Mike's eye.  Her senses were so acute that it was impossible to lie to her and she knew every word he’d spoken was the truth.  She was still learning to process her emotions normally, but she felt bad for hurting him since he’d taken care of her adopted family.

“Its ok Laura.” Mike said gently. “I didn’t come to make you feel bad; I came to tell you that Kiden and her family miss you and they’ve been really worried about you.” He said.  “Here, she wanted you to have this.” He said as he reached into the pocket of his cargo shorts and pulled out the picture Kiden had taken of them together before Laura had run away.

“You can cry when you’re happy too Laura.” Cessily said, seeing the difficulty her friend was having with the moment.  Cessily had a kind heart and she couldn’t stand to see anyone suffer so Ororo thought she would make a good roommate for Laura when she’d come to the school.  Most of the other students were scared of Laura after Emma Frost told them she was a clone and a killer, but Cessily could see how sad, lonely and broken she was and she did the best she could to help her.

“Thank you.” Laura said as she wiped her eyes. Kiden had written her address and phone number on the back of the picture so Laura could call her when she was ready.  She didn’t really know what to say; she never had, but Kiden never seemed to mind.  Kiden had talked to her for hours when they were together, but she’d never tried to pry into her past.  She and her family loved her and she was sorry she had made them all worry about her.

“I’ll let her know yer’re safe, then you can call her when yer’re ready.” Mike said as he turned to leave.  The Nixon family would be relieved to know that Laura was safe and living at the school. He’d spent the last week with them helping to finish the renovations to make their new home handicap accessible for Kiden’s father. He was a police officer in New York City before the war and he’d been paralyzed from the waist down helping evacuate civilians when Apocalypse attacked.  Despite the hardship in their own lives, they were still concerned about Laura and they’d asked him again to help them find her. Mike had seen so much pain and suffering during and after the war; it felt good to be able to do something to make the Nixon Family’s life a little easier.

“Are you ready to call her?” Cessily asked as she looked at the picture Laura was holding.

“I do not know if I should.” Laura said quietly. “I want to, but all I do is hurt the people who care about me.” She said, sorrowfully.

“You’ve never hurt me.” Cessily told her.

“My mother loved me and she is dead. My aunt and cousin loved me and they are in hiding. These people loved me and I do not want something terrible to happen to them.” Laura said as she looked at the picture of her with Kiden and her family.

“Laura, I don’t know what really happened to you, but I know it was awful.” Cessily said as she wiped away her tears. “The problems you’re having aren’t your fault and these people know that.” She explained. “They love you and they need to know you’re safe.” She said.

“I was not raised to understand emotions.” Laura said. “I was not raised to think of myself as a person; I was not a person; I was a weapon.” She explained. “I was born in an illegal bio-weapons lab called The Facility.  My mother was a geneticist working to recreate Weapon X…my father.  She failed to clone his DNA twenty-two times; so on the twenty-third attempt she combined his DNA with hers and I was conceived.” Laura said as Cessily listened in horror. She’d broken out in a cold sweat and her stomach felt like it was in a knot, but she didn’t dare interrupt Laura.

“She told me that she had convinced herself that I was not a child; I was an experiment…but that she had a change of heart when I was born and began to cry for her.” Laura said as Cessily fought hard not to completely break down. “I was raised in an empty white room and only allowed to see my mother once a day.  I began training when I was six; I was to at age seven I was forced to kill my puppy to learn to break emotional attachments. At age eight they began to torture me to awaken my powers. At age nine they discovered that drowning me in freezing water worked. By age eleven I was programmed to attack when exposed to a pheromone called “the trigger scent” so I could not resist and at age twelve I killed my instructor.” Laura told her. 

“I was trained using live targets and by age thirteen I had killed twenty people…some of them were children. I was told that I was ready for field testing and my claws were removed and fused with Adamantium; Dr. Rice did not sedate me.” She said. “Soon after I received my Adamantium claws Apocalypse’s forces attacked The Facility looking for new specimens for Mister. Sinister’s research.  My mother escaped with me in the chaos and we lived in hiding during the war. She told me the truth about how I was born and why and she tried to deprogram me.” Laura said as Cessily sat beside her, tears pouring down her cheeks. 

“We were discovered by Kimura, an agent of The Facility created to control me. Her skin is impenetrable; I cannot harm her.” Laura explained.  “She killed my mother and threatened my aunt and cousin so I tried to burn her to death and escaped. My mother had told me to go the Xavier Institute and find my father if anything happened to her, but all I found was ashes.” She said.  “I kept running from Kimura until I came to the aid center in Pittsburgh that the government had set up during the war.  That is where I met Kiden and her family. Kiden was kind to me and her parents cared for me even though they barely had enough for themselves and their own children. I did not know how broken I was until I became part of their family, but I stayed because they loved me and they wanted to help me.

“One day they told me we were moving and that I should help pack.” Laura said. “While we were packing Michael arrived; I did not know he was a friend; I thought SHIELD wanted to take me to use as their own weapon. I hurt him and ran again…later my father found me and brought me here.” Laura said as Cessily held her close, crying for her.  Laura had never been so open with her and she was glad that she finally trusted her enough to reveal something so personal and painful.  Thanks to Cessily’s love and support Laura was finally able to talk about her past, but she still couldn’t bring herself to talk about what Sabertooth had done to her after she ran from Mike.  He’d hurt her in a way she’d never been hurt before and she was so lost and confused she didn’t know how to deal with it or who to talk to about it.

“I’m so sorry Laura.” Cessily sobbed. “I wish I could take all that pain away from you; I wish I knew what to say.” She cried. “I love you and the Nixon’s love you and Logan loves you too; you’re not alone and we’re all here to help you.” She said as she held her friend.  She felt like she was going to throw up after hearing all that and she was disgusted with Laura’s mother. She’d done her best to dehumanize Laura, calling her an “experiment” or whatever helped her sleep at night. She wasn’t an experiment, she was a human being; a helpless baby who never had a chance.  Cessily took a deep breath and forced those thoughts to the back of her mind; Laura didn’t need her to be angry she needed her to listen and to love her and to help her take her life back.

**Rahne’s Room**

**-Later That Evening-**

"Feel better now?" Rahne asked as Noriko came back from the bathroom, wrapped in a towel. Dr. McCoy had given her a shot of medical nanites to temporarily nullify her powers and Forge was hard at work on capacitor gauntlets to help her control the amount of energy she absorbed. Rahne and Tabitha had given her a haircut and combed out all the tangles and matted spots for her. She'd been in Rahne's shower for over an hour and she was really pretty now that she was finally clean.

"Yeah, thanks for putting up with me Rahne." Noriko said as she sat down on the edge of Rahne's bed. She'd been filthy, but Rahne and Tabitha had treated her with dignity and they'd spent their whole afternoon taking care of her.

"Tabby and Ah have both been in really bad situations ourselves, we're happy tae be able tae help ye." Rahne told her.

"I think we're about the same size Nori, so I'm giving you some of my clothes." Tabitha said as she pointed to the pile of clothes on Rahne’s bed that she picked out so Noriko would have something to wear.

"Ah dinnae have anythin’ tha’ will fit ye, but Ah got ye this." Rahne said. She was only 5'2" so her clothes were all too small, but she'd collected some makeup, feminine products and even some jewelry for Noriko so she'd be more comfortable. Noriko was overwhelmed as she looked through the clothes Tabitha had given her. They were really nice clothes and she was touched by Tabitha and Rahne's generosity and kindness.

"Thank you." Noriko said as she wiped her eyes.

"You're welcome, now go try them on." Tabitha said as she and Rahne hugged her. Everything fit and Noriko had just gotten dressed when Forge arrived with her gauntlets. They were big and ugly, but everyone was relieved to see that they worked even better than he said they would.

"I know they're ugly Noriko, but I had to work fast. I'll make you some better equipment soon." He said as he left her with her friends. Noriko thanked him again; she didn't care what they looked like as long as they worked. She was so glad not be lonely, hungry, dirty and homeless anymore that she was having a hard time keeping her emotions in check.

"Wow, you really are beautiful!" Danielle said as she stood in the doorway, admiring Noriko's new look.

"Thanks." Noriko said.

"She been assigned tae yer squad Dani?" Rahne asked.

"Yeah, you're looking at the newest  **New Mutant**." Danielle said proudly.

"New Mutants?" Noriko asked.

"Dani's response team in training." Rahne said. "They're named after our old team." She explained.

 _'That's a really stupid name for a team.'_  Noriko thought.

"I'll show you around and let you meet your teammates, but let's get you settled first. Come on, I'll introduce you to your roommate." Danielle said. Noriko wasn't thrilled to have a roommate, but at least she had a room now. Ororo knew Noriko would need time to adjust, but Megan Gwynn seemed to be able to get along with anyone and she would be a good roommate for her.

"Ye know where tae find us if ye need us." Rahne said as Noriko picked up her clothes and followed Danielle.

"They grow up so fast." Tabitha joked. "Well, I'm going to see if I can still salvage date night; why don't you go check on the new guy?" She asked.

"Tabby, he jus' got here, Ah'm sure he needs some time tae himself tae settle in." Rahne said.

"Rahne, you saw the way he was looking at you and you know he must have a good heart to help Nori the way he did." Tabitha said as she took Rahne's hand and pulled her up off the bed.

"He's smart, he's sweet, he's hot, he's Christian…what are you waiting on? Go get him!" She said. Rahne knew she was right and she was wasn't going to let her past disappointments hold her back anymore so she stopped making excuses and followed her friend.

"We're going out to eat tonight if you want to bring Mike." Tabitha said as Rahne stopped at Mike's door and knocked.

**Mike’s Room**

"Hey Rahne, c’mon in." Mike said as opened the door for her.  He’d been working on plans for a new suit of armor, but he was glad she’d stopped by to see him. Rahne was a beautiful young woman with long red hair, green eyes and an athletic figure with medium size breasts.  Mike thought the freckles on her nose and cheeks were really cute and he was already finding himself attracted to her.

"Ye settlin’ in all right?" Rahne asked.

"Yeah, nice place ya’ll got here." Mike said.

"Wha’s tha’ yui’re workin’ on?" Rahne asked as she looked at the 3D molecular model the tablet on his desk was projecting.

“That’s th’ formula fer Iron Hide; th’ body suit under my armor.” He explained. 

“Ye invented that?” Rahne asked.

“Yeah, I’ve got a degree in chemical engineerin’ and I was studyin’ metallurgy before th’ war, but I never got t’ finish school.” Mike told her.  Mike had wanted to help Eddie McDonough design better light armor for the SHIELD Agents ever since the Chitari had invaded nine years earlier.  He’d seen a lot of agents die defending New York City and he’d been seriously injured himself.

“Ah’m still tryin’ tae finish school muhself.” Rahne said as she sat down on the edge of his bed and he pulled up his desk chair. “Ah’m studyin’ nursin’ at SMU.” She explained.

“I’d wish you luck, but from what I’ve heard you don’t need it.” Mike said.

“Sam exaggerates.” Rahne said as she blushed.

“I was talkin’ about how you saved Cap durin’ th’ war. Our guys were pinned down, they couldn’t reach him and my team was too far out to get there in time.  I thought we were goin’ on a body recovery, but when we got there he told us all how th’ X-Force medic had charged in, pulled him out and patched him up.” He said.  “It’s an honor to serve with someone as brave as you Rahne.”

"Ah heard about how brave ye are too. Sam told us how ye saved him from Ozymandias’ trap and then found th’ psimatar.” Rahne said. “He also told us tha’ ye stood up fer th' mutants left in New York after th’ war and protected th’ war orphans." She told him.

“Sam talks too much.” Mike said.  He’d lost a lot of good Rangers in Mutant Town and he’d done things to save those kids he could never tell Rahne about. He didn’t feel like a hero and he wished Sam hadn’t told the others anything about him.

“Hey, Ah thought we were jus’ havin’ a bit of fun.” Rahne said.  “Ye helped a lot of people, ye should be proud of that.” She said.

"I did some things I'm not proud of too." He admitted.

"So did Ah." Rahne told him. She could tell he was as deeply affected by his experiences during the conflict as she was. Rahne still struggled with anger and guilt sometimes, but she found comfort and hope in her faith and in helping the students.

“But we made it home and we owe it tae everyone who didnae to make th’ most of everyday we get, nae keep fightin’ tha’ damn war.” Rahne said. That made Mike feel better; Rahne had been fighting most of her life too and she'd been through as much pain as he had, but she still had hope and he admired her for it.

“Yer’re right; thanks.” Mike said appreciatively.

“Ah know how hard it is tae readjust tae “normal” life, but it gets better Mike, Ah promise.” Rahne said.  She’d been seeing a counselor regularly and he was helping her come to terms with the trauma she’d experienced in the war and as a child.  She’d made a lot of progress and she knew if she could find some peace then Mike could as well.  

“Speakin’ of readjusting; how’s Noriko doin’?” He asked.

"Tabby gave her some new clothes, Ah gave her a haircut and a shower and Marilyn made her lunch so she’s feelin’ a lot better now." Rahne told him.  “Forge’s gloves work great so she’ll nae have tae worry about her powers anymore either.” She said reassuringly.

“Good, I know that poor kid went through hell to get here.” Mike sighed.

“Tha’s why God sent ye here tae help her.” Rahne told him. “Ye dinnae think it was coincidence ye met her at th’ gate do ye?” She asked.  She’d met her adoptive parents under similar circumstances and she recognized God’s work.

“No, yer’re right.” Mike admitted.  Caring for Noriko was the last thing he’d expected to be doing when he came to Dallas, but he knew it was no coincidence.

“So, where do ye go tae church?” Rahne asked him.

“I’m Methodist.” Mike answered.

“So am Ah.” Rahne said.  She’d been raised Presbyterian by Reverend Craig, but her adopted father, Joseph, was Methodist and she’d converted after he rescued her. Reverend Craig had used the Presbyterian’s belief in predestination to convince Rahne she was worthless and evil so she was done with her old denomination just as she was done with his lies.

“Would ye come tae church wit’ me this Sunday?” She asked.  Rahne was glad Mike's faith was important to him and she was glad they had something in common besides fighting and psychological trauma. 

“Yeah, I’d like that.” Mike said.  He hadn’t been to church in a long time and was glad Rahne had invited him to go with her. She clearly took her faith seriously and he wanted to get to know her better.    

"Hey, it’s gettin’ late and whatever they’re cookin’ in th’ kitchen smells nasty; are there any good places to eat around here?" He asked.  This was his first day in Dallas and he had no idea where anything was located other than the school.

"Yeah, Tabby was tellin’ me aboot a new Italian place tha’ just opened last week." Rahne said, realizing he was about to ask her out.  _'Tabby was right; he really **is** interested in me.'_ She thought to herself.  _'Wes would want me to be happy and I'm not going to let what happened with Ric hold me back.'_  She told herself. It was time to put her fears and regrets behind her and move on with her life.

"Do you wanna come with me?" Mike asked, hoping he wasn't coming on too strong for her. Rahne looked tough and ready for anything, but he could sense her emotions and she seemed a little unsure of herself and of him.

"Yeah, Ah do." Rahne answered. She was flattered he was interested, but they'd just met and she couldn't help but be a little nervous. She'd always been shy, but she was pushing herself to be more outgoing and confident and she really wanted a relationship.

"We could ask Sam and Tabitha to come too." He added, deciding to play it safe and take things slow. Rahne nodded in agreement, a night out with friends would be a really good way to get to know more about Mike. She didn't know if this counted as a "date" since they'd just met a few hours ago, but Mike was clearly interested in her and she was glad she'd listened to Tabitha.

"Tha’ sounds great, Ah’ll go get changed." Rahne said as she excused herself.

**Marcini's – Two Hours Later**

It had been a wonderful evening, the food was great and they were all enjoying each other's company as they sat around the table after their meal. Mike turned out to be a perfect gentleman and Rahne was feeling a lot more comfortable with him now that she'd gotten to know him better. Mike felt at ease for the first time in over a year and Tabitha was happy to see he wasn't quite as serious as she'd first thought now that he'd finally opened up. She and the others were laughing at his stories from his days in the Avenger's Academy.

"Okay, so let me get this straight, you and this class full of nuts, who are  _supposed_  to be learnin' t' save th' world, get trashed, watch  **Animal House**  and decide to put a horse in th' Avenger's Mansion?" Sam asked as Mike finished his ridiculous story. Mike took a drink of his beer and nodded.

"Yeah, and th' best part is it took a giant dump in shell-head's office." He said as everyone started laughing again.

"That's awesome." Tabitha said as she finally stopped laughing. "I was beginning to think you were born a SHIELD Ranger."

"I've had my moments of debauchery." Mike admitted. Tabitha was right though, he'd always been committed and disciplined and he rarely let himself go like that. He was also introverted and while he could seem aloof at times, he  _was_  conscious of others feelings and always tried to protect and comfort his friends.

"Where th' hell did ya'll get th' horse?" Sam asked.

"Off one of those carriages in Central Park." Mike said. "Dude driving it went to th' head and while he was in there, Joystick grabbed the horse and we all took off."

"Joystick was in your class?!" Tabitha asked in disbelief.

"Some of us were there because we wanted to be, but most of 'em were there because it was their last chance…and Janice blew hers." Mike sighed.

"Ah'm sorry about yuir friend." Rahne said quietly.

"Thanks. Well, looks like I managed to kill th' mood; ya'll ready to leave?" Mike asked as he finished off his beer.

**Jean Grey School**

"Ya'll coming?" Tabitha asked as she and Sam started walking back to the house from the garage.

"We're gonna take a walk Tabitha." Mike said as he and Rahne headed off into the garden.

"She's got him hooked." Tabitha said as she watched them disappear into the night. Rahne had changed into a pretty summer dress Tabitha had helped her pick out and she'd even worn her emerald necklace for her first date with Mike. He was clearly trying to impress Rahne as well and it reminded Tabitha of the early days of her relationship with Sam. She loved him more than anything and she wanted Rahne to be as happy as she was.

"Yeah, I think they’ll be happy together." Sam said as they walked back to the house. He loved Rahne and he was very protective of her, but he didn't give a second thought to Mike dating her because he knew the kind of man he was.

"Thank ye fer dinner." Rahne said as they walked together arm in arm.

"Glad you enjoyed it." Mike said. "So where in Scotland is home fer you?" He asked as they walked beneath the trees.

"Th' Isle of Muir" She answered. "Its north of Cape Wrath; do ye know where tha' is?" She asked, expecting him to say no.

"Yeah." He said as Rahne looked at him, genuinely surprised. "My mom's ancestors were Scottish; from Clan MacLaren." He explained, seeing the surprised look on her face. "I thought I should learn where I came from." He added.

"Yer ancestors were brave; Ah met some of ‘em when we were lost in time." She said.

"Wait, ya'll jumped through time too?" He asked. He knew the X-Men and New Mutants had saved the world, but he didn't realize they'd been through as much or more than the Avengers before the war. He knew first-hand how dangerous time travel could be and he was impressed to say the least.

"Of course, yer're nae a real X-Man till ye've been lost in time." She joked.

"We just had to fight a bunch of extra dimensional aliens and a two hundred foot monster." Mike said.

"Ah met King Robert and he even gave me this necklace." Rahne said proudly as Mike bent down and looked at her beautiful emerald set in silver.  She’d had a hard life, but meeting the king was a memory she’d always treasure and his gift to her was her most cherished possession after her bible.

"Yer’re th’ girl in th’ legend aren’t you?" Mike asked.  He’d read about a mysterious red haired girl who’d saved to the king before the Battle of Bannockburn while he was researching his ancestors.  Historians couldn’t agree if the story was fact or fiction, but the story of the mysterious heroine had inspired generations of Scottish girls.

"Tha’ was me." Rahne admitted. "Ah got in so much trouble when th’ professor found out."

 "You did th’ right thing." Mike told her.  "Scotland might not be free if it weren’t fer you."

"Aye…well, tha’s enough aboot me." Rahne said.  She was certainly proud she’d helped her country win its freedom, but she didn’t want Mike to think she was full of herself.

"So where's home fer ye?" She asked as they sat down on the bench under the oak tree.

"Greenville South Carolina; we moved back when dad got out of th' Army." He told her.

"Ye have a big family?" She asked.

"Yeah, most of 'em live around Greenville, but my uncle Randy, my granny and some cousins live in Alabama. Me and my sisters used to get to go stay with 'em a few weeks in th' summer." He said, recalling memories of happier days. "What about you?" He asked.

"It’s jus’ me and mum now." Rahne said. The bond Rahne shared with her adopted parents was stronger than blood and their love was genuine and unbreakable. She missed her father every day and the fact that he’d died saving her life made his loss harder to bear.

"I’m sorry about yer Dad." Mike told her.

"It’s ok Mike." Rahne sighed. "Ah know Ah’ll see him again one day." She said.  "Ye would have liked him, he was a Royal Marine and th’ leader of Excalibur fer a while before Captain Britain."

"So yer dad was Colonel MacTaggart?" Mike asked as Rahne nodded. "He was a great hero and clearly a good father." He told her. Most of Excalibur’s missions were still classified by Mi5, but their declassified missions were required study at the Avenger’s Academy.  Joseph was a brilliant tactician who lead Excalibur against the supernatural and superpowered enemies of Scotland and England until he’d stepped down to help care for his son.

"Tha’ he was." Rahne said as she wiped her eyes.  It was clear to Mike that Rahne was “daddy’s girl” and he really felt bad that he’d made her sad by bringing up painful memories.

"So what does yer mom do?" He asked after a moment, hoping to lighten the mood a little.

"She’s th’ world’s leading geneticist." Rahne said with a hint of pride in her voice.

"A hero dad and a genius mom; well that explains why yer’re so awesome." He said as he managed to coax a smile out of Rahne.  She was proud of her parents and proud to be a MacTaggart.

"Tell me about yer family." She said.

"Well, mom stayed home to take care me and my sisters and dad was an Army Ranger till he ran over an IED in Afghanistan and lost half is leg." Mike told her.  "Now they’re both helpin’ my uncle with White Oak Ranch; it’s a Christian home fer abused and abandoned kids." He explained.

"Ye really take after yer dad don’t ye?" Rahne asked.  Mike clearly came from a good family and she was really impressed by the work they were doing to help neglected children. 

"I suppose I do." Mike said.  "I’m definitely as stubborn as he is."

"Wha' are yer sisters like?" Rahne asked.

"Well, Anna's nothin' like me, thankfully. She's a lot like Tabitha; she was always getting into something, but she was a good kid and she never did anything  _really_ bad. We used t' be really close; she's only two years younger than me and kind of a tomboy." He explained. "She was a pest sometimes, but I love her." He added. Rahne smiled, she didn't know him that well yet, but she was sure he was a good big brother, just like Sam.

“Where is she now?” Rahne asked.

"Anna just got her masters from Auburn; she's changed a lot while I've been gone." He sighed. Mike had missed out on a lot of Anna's life and he felt guilty he hadn't been there to help her through some tough times she'd had in high school and when she'd started college.

"Wha' about yer youngest sister?" Rahne asked. She could sense how sad Mike was that he hadn't been there for them when they were growing up, but she knew he needed to deal with his feelings instead of suppressing them.  The war was over now and he could afford to be human again.

"Mary's th' baby; she's eight years younger than me and six years younger than Anna." He explained. "Anna loves her, but she just wasn't close to her like she was with me. I've been gone most of her life so she doesn't really know me." He said. "She's smart, beautiful and popular.  The head cheerleader, homecoming queen and an honors student; I think she felt left out being th' youngest and she's tryin' t' make up fer it." He sighed.

"Are they different like ye?" Rahne asked.

"Yeah, they’re peak humans too” He said.  “Mary’s just like me, but Anna developed telekinesis instead of telepathy." He told her.  "My folks wouldn’t let them have anything to do with SHIELD or th’ Avengers after they found out what I was gettin’ into with ‘em.” Mike explained. “I think Mary might be a little jealous, but I’m glad she’s not part of this life." He said after a moment.

"It’s been really hard fer ye tae hasn’t it?" Rahne asked.

"Yeah, it has.” Mike admitted. “Nobody really knew anything about peak humans when I was growin’ up so people thought I was a mutant when my telepathy manifested. That…that was rough." He answered.

"Th' day Ah changed was th' worst day of muh life." She said as her voice broke and she tried to keep her emotions in check. She didn't want to start crying in front of him, but it had been a horrible, humiliating experience and she'd had to leave her mother and father to come live at the institute.

“Ah hate havin’ this _thing_ inside me.” She said as she shifted to her hybrid form. Mike could hear the pain in her voice and he reached over and put his arm around her to comfort her. Rahne was touched, she'd been reviled and treated like an animal because of her unnatural appearance, but he wasn't concerned at all with the way she looked now and she began to feel better.

"That’s not important Rahne, its _who_ you are that matters." Mike said gently. He'd lived with the stigma of being a mutant himself and he knew it must have been awful for her. Mutants weren't natural; they were the result genetic tampering by the Celestials and many people felt they weren't really human. Mike understood the fear and even the revulsion people felt to some extent, but mutants  **were**  people and they didn't deserve to be hated because of what the Celestials had done to them.

They sat in the moonlight and talked for a long time that night and discovered they had a lot in common. They liked some of the same music, they liked working on their vehicles, they loved the outdoors and they both shared a strong devotion to their faith. Mike was really impressed with Rahne's character; she was so kind and thoughtful and so genuinely concerned for the children she was teaching. He admired her bravery and her strength, but also her humility after such a remarkable life. He was surprised that Rahne was nearly six years younger than he was. She seemed a lot older, but ultimately it didn't matter to either of them.

Rahne admired Mike's service to his country and his concern for those less fortunate. She was also really impressed by how intelligent he was and she was flattered when he asked her to teach him to speak Gaelic so they could share their pride in their heritage. Mike was everything Rahne wanted, but she wasn't so naïve that she couldn’t see he was damaged and hurting inside. She had her own trauma from her past and the war to contend with and she knew a relationship would require a lot of hard work and patience from both of them. Despite the challenges they faced, they felt they'd been brought together for a reason and they were quite taken with each other.

**Next Issue: X-Force battles Cameron Hodge! Secret operative Cypher joins the fight to save the young mutants!**


	4. Blood and Iron

Disclaimer: Marvel owns everything here except Wrath.

A/N: An alternate version of the X-Men and X-Force from Earth 730.

Apocalypse has been defeated, but the Millennium War has cost the X-Men dearly.  With the Xavier Institute reduced to ashes and only two surviving psychics, the X-Men have been forced to relocate to the X-Force base in Dallas Texas. Headmistress Storm is preparing to open a new school for young mutants in the hope of salvaging Xavier’s dream and uniting the teams, but the growing conflict between Cannonball’s X-Force and Cyclops’ X-Men has put the future in jeopardy.

**Previously**

Noriko Ashida was cruelly turned away from the Jean Grey School by Julian Keller, but she was met by the new member of X-Force, Michael "Mike" Holmes who asked her to accompany him back to set things right. Noriko was welcomed by the team and received the help she desperately needed to control her powers. Meanwhile, Mike tracked down Laura Kinney in order to keep a promise he made to their mutual friend Kiden Nixon.

Rahne MacTaggart was touched by the kindness he showed Noriko and came to see how he was settling in. Mike was equally enamored with Rahne and the two began to bond over dinner with Sam Guthrie and Tabitha Smith at a local restaurant. After dinner the pair took a walk in the schools gardens and grew closer as they talked long into the night.

This issue:

X-Force: Sam Guthrie-Cannonball, Tabitha Smith-Boomer, Rahne MacTaggart-Wolfsbane, Theresa Cassidy-Siryn, James Proudstar-Warpath, Michael Holmes-Wrath, Doug Ramsey-Cypher

X-Men: Scott Summers-Cyclops, Monet St. Croix-M, Kitty Pryde-Shadow Cat, Hank McCoy-Beast, Jonathan Silvercloud-Forge

Faculty Members: Danielle Moonstar-Mirage

Students: Megan Gwynn-Pixie, Noriko Ashida-Surge, Laura Kinney-X-23, David Alleyne-Prodigy, Josh Foley-Elixir

**X-Men - Guardians # 4: Blood and Iron**

**Jean Grey School – Dallas Texas**

**The Next Morning**

"Hey Terry." Rahne said sweetly as she opened her bedroom door and met Danielle, Theresa and James in the hallway. "Och, ye look exhausted, how did everythin' go yesterday?" She asked as she hugged her friend.

"We had a good visit." Theresa said. "Dad's not drinking anymore; I think he's serious this time." She said as she returned Rahne's embrace. She'd gotten back really late last night and she was still tired, but she felt better than she had in a long time. She was thankful to have James in her life now, he had helped her through her own struggles with alcoholism and now he was standing by her while she tried to help her father. She was also grateful for good friends like Rahne and Tabitha, who were genuinely interested in her problems and always ready to help her.

"Ye feelin’ alright Dani?" Rahne asked after a moment.

"I’m fine." Danielle grumbled.  She’d heard Sam and Tabitha making love the night before and she was feeling sorry for herself again.  _'That should be me.'_  She thought as they all walked down the hall. _‘I **would** be me if it weren’t for Stryker.’_ She fumed as self-pity was replaced by anger and resentment. Rahne’s senses were sharp enough to detect the emotional turmoil Danielle was feeling, but it was clear she didn’t want to talk about it now.

"’Sup ya’ll?" Tabitha said as she and Sam walked out of their room and met them.

"Where's the new guy?" Danielle asked. "Don't tell me the  _Earth’s Mightiest Hero_ overslept." She said sarcastically.

"He was up and hour ago." James said. Mike had a really noisy alarm clock that had met with an unfortunate end a few minutes ago. "I don't know where he went, probably the Danger Room."

"Wha's he like?" Theresa asked.

"He's a real hard-ass." James said.

"He is nae!" Rahne protested.

"How would ye know Rahne?" Theresa asked. James and Sam had gone on missions with Mike during the Millennium War, but as far as she knew Rahne had never met him.

"They had a date." Danielle explained.

"Already?!" Theresa asked. She was really proud of Rahne for being so bold. Rahne had been devastated by the death of her first boyfriend and it had taken her more than a year to overcome it. She was hurt and confused after her relationship with Richter ended and she'd struggled to overcome the trauma she'd endured in the war. She'd seen a lot of pain and disappointment in her life, but she was finally strong enough not to let it hold her back any longer.

' _Yeah, already.'_  Danielle thought. Rahne had grown into a strong young woman, but Danielle thought she was taking things too fast with the new guy. She was still provoked by the way Mike had yelled at Julian the day before and she worried he was too damaged for Rahne.  The fact that he was a baseline didn’t help her feelings either and she wished Rahne had found another mutant who could relate to her struggles.

"It was _nae_  a date!" Rahne exclaimed. "We jus' went tae dinner; Tabby and Sam went tae!"

"That's a double date!" Theresa laughed as Rahne blushed a little.

"Ah guess it was." Rahne admitted.

"Must have gone pretty well huh?" Theresa asked, seeing how happy Rahe was this morning.

"Yeah, Mike's sweet and we've got a lot in common." Rahne told her. Danielle rolled her eyes, Mike may have helped Noriko, but she had her doubts as to just how "sweet" he really was. She didn't like him to begin with, but when she saw Rahne leaving with him the night before, she'd tried digging into his background to find any excuse to keep her friend away from him.

"I hope it works out fer ye this time." Theresa said. She wanted Rahne to be happy the way she and Tabitha were and if Rahne thought Mike was a nice guy, then he must be.

"Oh it will." Tabitha said. "She's got him hooked." She said as she hugged her blushing friend. Rahne was a little embarrassed that her love life was the center of conversation this morning, but Tabitha was right, Mike was quite taken with her and she felt really good after her first date with him.

**The Kitchen**

"This is great; sure beats th' hell outta th’ heli-carrier mess hall." Mike said as he ate the breakfast Marilyn had prepared for them.

"I should hope so." Marilyn said, although she was grateful for the compliment.

"Hey Mrs. Hannah! Hey new guy!" Megan squealed as she flew into the kitchen. She was a bundle of energy and never met a stranger. Most people took one look at Mike and assumed he was mean, but she immediately wanted to be his friend.

"Hi Tinkerbelle." Mike said as he took a sip of his coffee. She looked like she'd escaped from a Disney movie, with her pink hair and colorful wings and he couldn't help but be amused by her.

"It's Pixie actually." She said as she sat down beside him. "You're Nori's scary friend Mike right?" She asked as Mike laughed and nodded. "My real name is Megan, but you can call me Meg if you want too." She told him. 

“Nice to meet you Meg.” Mike said as Marilyn handed her a plate full of pancakes.

"I think it's great you're dating Ms. MacTaggart!" She blurted out excitedly. "She's been single forever so she really needs a nice boyfriend!" Mike nearly choked on his pancakes; living with a bunch of teenagers was  _really_  going to take some getting used too.

"Glad you approve." He told her.

"So are you really an Avenger?" Megan asked.

"No, I quit." Mike said.

"Why?" She asked.

"Reasons." He said bluntly.

"Meg, your foods getting cold." Marilyn said.

"I’m sorry Mrs. Hannah." She said as she began to pig out on her pancakes.

 _‘Thank you.’_ Mike said telepathically.  Megan was sweet and she meant well, but that was a sore subject for him and he was glad Marilyn had distracted her.

"Mornin' Noriko." Mike said as Noriko walked into the kitchen, following her roommate.

"Hey Mike." Noriko sighed as she poured herself a cup of coffee. She clearly wasn't a morning person and Megan's exuberance was irritating. She liked her roommate, but she really needed some coffee before she could handle all that energy; it just wasn't natural to be that cheerful in the morning.

"Rough night?" He asked.  

"Yeah, it’s hard to sleep with two bricks tied to your arms." She answered as Marilyn served her plate.  Her gauntlets were really heavy and uncomfortable and she’d had a hard time falling asleep the night before.  She also wasn’t used to having a roommate and since she'd lived in a constant state of fear on the streets she’d waked at the slightest noise from Megan.  She wasn’t going to complain though, she was thankful to have a soft, warm bed again.

“Don’t worry; I talked to Forge about a new pair of gloves for you this morning.” Mike said.  “We’re going to miniaturize the capacitors and forge the frames and casings out of tritanium, like my armor.  They’ll be really light weight, but really strong too.” He explained.  Noriko was touched that Mike was so concerned about her; it had been a long time since anyone cared.

“Thanks Mike, for everything.” Noriko said as she began to eat her breakfast.  Yesterday she’d been homeless, but today she had a roof over her head and more food than she could eat because Mike had cared enough to stop.

“Yer’re welcome.” Mike said. "You didn't have any more trouble out of that asshat from yesterday did you?" Mike asked after a moment.

"I can stand up for myself." She said bluntly.

"I’m sorry; I guess I can be a little overprotective sometimes." He told her. Noriko was well educated and she obviously hadn't been born into poverty like his friend Melissa. She must have had a comfortable life at some point, but he knew she’d had to do some things she wasn’t proud of to survive on the streets for as long as she had.  Her self-respect had clearly taken a big hit and she was desperately trying to hang onto what pride she had left.

“It’s ok Mike,  I guess I’m just not used to anyone giving a damn about me.” Noriko sighed.  Megan felt so bad for her new friend. Noriko had started crying when she looked a picture of her family last night, but Megan didn’t know what to say to her.

“Michael, don’t curse in front of the kids. This is a school, not SHIELD bootcamp.” Marilyn said indignantly.

“Yes ma’am.” Mike said.  He was still adjusting to civilian life and he wasn’t used to having a lot of kids around.  He was pretty sure both Noriko and Megan had heard and used worse language than that, but Marilyn was right and he needed to do better. 

“So, how you likin’ yer team?” Mike asked after a moment.

“They’re ok I guess; Josh is kind of annoying though.” She said.

“What else?” Mike asked.

“They’re not training us to be X-Men.” Noriko sighed.

“They’re tryin’ to keep ya’ll safe.” Mike explained.  “They want ya’ll to have a choice; this life will suck you in and eat you alive Noriko.” Mike told her. "I've been doin' this since I was fourteen. I've been shot, stabbed, tortured, beaten half to death, used as a scratchin’ post by a cat man, trapped in hell, lost in time, mind raped by a psychotic clone who dresses like Lady GaGa, and nearly eaten by a giant dragon from outer space." He told her. Mike didn't want her to fight either, but it was her choice and he respected her courage and her willingness to stand up and fight for others.

“I know it’s not a Saturday morning cartoon out there Mike, but I want to do something important with my life and I want to help people.” She said.  Mike sat for a moment considering what she’d said and wrestling with his conscience.  Part of him wanted to tell her she didn’t have a clue what she was asking for, but he knew he had no right to crush her dreams like that.  He’d know soon enough if she was serious about helping others or if this was just about her injured pride.

 _‘Keep this between us for now, but I’ll train you like an Avenger in our spare time.  When you graduate, if you can control your powers and that’s still what you want to do with your life, you can join the Avengers.’_ Mike said telepathically.

 _‘Really?!  They’d take me?!’_ She asked.

 _‘If you’re good enough.’_ He told her.

 _‘Thank you.’_ Noriko replied.  She was genuinely shocked by Mike’s reaction; being encouraged to follow her dreams was something completely new to her.  He wasn’t like her father at all and she began to feel better about his promise to take care of her.

 _‘It’s going to be one of the hardest things you’ve ever done.’_ Mike warned her. _‘I’m going to train you hard, the way Cap and Mockingbird trained me.’_

 _‘I can take it.’_ Noriko said as the rest of X-Force joined them.

"Mornin' Rahne." Mike said as he stood up and pulled her chair out for her.

"Thank ye Mike; ye dinnae ha' tae do all this." Rahne said as he served her plate.

"This one's a keeper Rahne." Theresa teased.

"This is Cable's other evil clone, Mike." James said as he introduced Theresa to Mike.

"I don’t know what he’s told you, but I deny everything." Mike joked.

"We’re just glad yer’re here Mike." Theresa said as she and James began eating.  Mike reminded her a little of Sam and she was sure she was going to get along well with him.  Tabitha had told her how he’d helped Noriko and she was impressed with how thoughtful he was being toward Rahne this morning. 

"You a big soccer fan?" Mike asked as he turned his attention back to Rahne. She was wearing her favorite Aberdeen Football Club T-shirt. 

"Aye, dad used tae take me to th’ games when Ah was younger; Aberdeen was our favorite team." Rahne said.  She had a lot of happy memories of watching their games with her dad. He’d bought her that shirt on their last trip to Aberdeen before he died and it meant a lot to her. 

“Did you play?” Mike asked.  

"Ah played fer muh school’s team when we lived in Edinburgh." She told him. Reverend Craig had tried to keep Rahne isolated when she was a child, but her adopted father had encouraged her to join her school’s team to make friends and socialize.  Rahne had been really unsure of herself at first, but soon she was one of the best players and thoroughly enjoying herself.

 “I bet you were good.” Mike said. 

“Ah was ok.” Rahne said. 

“She was one of the best.” Tabitha told him as Danielle nodded in agreement.  Rahne was a great athlete, but she never talked about her accomplishments so Tabitha decided she’d brag for her. 

 “Well, we were league champions.” Rahne said as she blushed slightly.

 “That’s awesome!” Megan interrupted. “I used to play too before I grew wings, but we were terrible.” She told them.  Rahne couldn’t help but smile at her; she loved Megan and they had a very special relationship.  Megan had been teased a lot because she was a late bloomer and Rahne understood just how she felt. No one teased her now, but she was still self-conscious since her friends and new roommate were all pretty well-endowed. Rahne always tried to comfort Megan when she felt sad and she felt better seeing how attractive Rahne was now.    

"Pancakes again?" Monet asked in disgust as she walked into the kitchen. “I’m sick of the same crap all the time!” She fumed.

"You're more than welcome to cook for yourself your majesty." Marilyn told her.

"Hey, why don’t you try bein’ thankful that you have enough to eat?" Mike asked.  He was pretty disgusted by her ungrateful attitude and he didn’t like the disrespectful way she was talking to Marilyn. He never had enough to eat during the war and he usually ended up giving most of his MRE's to the starving civilians he rescued so he was really happy to have enough to eat now.

"Why don’t you mind your own business?!" Monet snapped as she turned and glared at him.

"Because I don’t wanna listen to whinin’ first thing in th’ mornin’." Mike shot back. "Go sit at th’ kids table if ya wanna pout.  Adults are tryin’ t’ have a conversation here." He said sarcastically as the others started laughing.  Monet rubbed everyone the wrong way, but it had been a while since someone had dressed her down like that.

"Go back to D.C. with the other science freaks!" Monet yelled. “This isn’t your fight and nobody wants you here!”  

"That's enough Monet!" Scott said sternly as he walked in to get some coffee. She was powerful, with perfect control over her powers, but she was arrogant and lacked maturity. She seemed to delight in creating conflict and Scott was more than a little tired of it. There was already enough tension between the two teams and she was only making it worse by harassing their newest member.

“I don’t have to take that from _him_!” Monet protested.

“I’m tired of your complaining too!” Scott said angrily. “Marilyn works hard to feed us and you’re going to apologize to her right now!” He said.

“I’m sorry I complained about your pancakes.” Monet said grudgingly as she grabbed her plate and headed for the dining room with the other X-Men.

“You might want to remind this guy he’s our guest here.” Scott said to Sam as he gave Mike a disdainful look.  He had to agree with Monet on that point; this wasn’t Mike’s fight and most of them didn’t want him living at the school.

"Mike, you weren’t wrong, but I have enough trouble dealin’ with _them_ already." Sam said. “Dial it down fer me will ya?” He asked. Scott didn’t like Mike serving on the team and he was looking for any excuse he could find to pressure Sam into getting rid of him. Mike was a good guy, but he was impatient and he always had to be right. Sam knew the recurring pain from Mike’s war injuries often made it hard for him to sleep, which made him even more irritable, but he wished he hadn’t torn into Monet like that in front of everyone.

"Aye, tha’s nae helpin’." Rahne said.  She knew he was having a hard time adjusting since the war, but she wished he’d just let it go rather than chewing Monet out like that.  Monet wanted everyone to think she was perfect, but it was obvious to Rahne that she was broken and ugly inside and she knew making a fool out of her wouldn’t make her change her selfish ways.

“I’m sorry, it just really pissed me off th’ way she was bein’ so ungrateful and disrespectful to Mrs. Hannah.” Mike explained.

“I get it Mike; its hard to go through what we did then come home and have to listen to somebody whine about somethin’ so petty.” Sam said.  He understood exactly how Mike was feeling; he’d flown off the handle at a guy in Starbucks after he got back for complaining about the foam in his latte.

“Don’t pay any attention to all the ignorant crap she said.” Tabitha told him.

“I think she made a fair point.” Danielle said after a moment. “This really isn’t your fight Mike.” She told him.

“I’m a soldier Danielle. I took an oath to defend this country and _everyone_ in it; so protectin’ these kids from trash like Donald Pierce **is** my fight.” Mike said. He didn't like having his motives questioned, but he answered her to try to keep the peace.

“But you’re not a mutant Mike.” Danielle said bluntly.  “You don’t know what its like to grow up the way we did; to be treated like you’re not even human.” She told him.  “This school is for mutants and you don’t belong here.”

“Tha’s th’ most ignorant thing Ah’ve ever heard ye say.” Rahne said curtly. It broke Rahne's heart to see her act like this and she wondered if Danielle even realized how she sounded.

“Why don’t you just admit you’re a bigot?” Tabitha said angrily.  She could understand Danielle being bitter about losing her powers and being beaten up by the Reavers, but this went way beyond that.

"Shut up!" Danielle snapped. "I was fighting  _ **real**_  bigots while you were robbing convenience stores!" She yelled.

"Th' hells got into you Dani!?" Sam asked as he held Tabitha back. He couldn't believe she'd just said something so hateful to Tabitha and he was tempted to let her tear Danielle a new one.

"Dani! How could ye?!" Rahne yelled.

"You don't want none of this princess!" Tabitha yelled. "I was fighting  **Apocalypse**  while you were crying in your pillow feeling sorry for yourself!"

"That's enough!" Theresa yelled, as Sam tried his best to calm Tabitha. " **We**  don't wash our dirty laundry in public!" She told them. She was really upset that they were arguing like that in front Megan and Noriko. She knew some people wouldn't be happy that they'd invited Mike to join, but Danielle should have known better than to say something like that in front of her students.

"Danielle, don't mistake our patience fer tolerance." Theresa said as she turned to her friend. "I know ye're still angry about what Stryker did to ye, but…"

"This has  _nothing_  to do with that!" Danielle interrupted. "I'm not a bigot!"

"I don’t care what Mike is; I'm just glad he cares enough to help us." Megan said as she got up to leave. She was sick of their arguing and she thought Danielle was wrong to treat Mike the way she had. So many Avengers had died fighting Apocalypse and Megan knew Mike must have lost a lot of friends. He could hate mutants after what he'd been through, but he was trying to help them and she wished there were more people like him.

' _Let it go Noriko; she's your mentor.'_  Mike said telepathically as he sensed Noriko's anger boiling over. Noriko finally had a place to call home and he didn't want her getting on Danielle's bad side because of him.

' _I don't care! She's full of shit! She can't talk to you like that!'_  She protested.

' _I can handle my own business; I don't need you jumping in my fights for me.'_  He told her.  _'You don't owe me anything and I don't want you getting in trouble because of me._ ' He said.

' _I'd still be on the street if it wasn't for you.'_  She admitted. _'Fine…I'll let it go, but only because you asked me too.'_ She said. Noriko gave Danielle a hateful look as she got up and followed Megan out. She didn't want her as a mentor anymore and she was going to ask Ororo to transfer her to another squad the first chance she got.

"Let's get this over with." Mike said once the girls had left. "What did Stryker do to you Moonstar?"

“That’s none of your business!” Danielle snapped. “I said this isn’t about that!” She yelled.

“Then what did **_I_** do to you?” He asked as Danielle sat there, stunned.

“Answer him!” Rahne said after a full minute of silence.

“You didn’t do anything to _me_ Mike.” Danielle admitted. “But you’ve hurt a lot of innocent mutants. I read Sam’s files on you last night and I know you were in Mutant Town after the war…when SHIELD ripped those people out of their homes in the middle of winter and forced then into that concentration camp in Akron.”  She said accusingly.

“I don’t recall givin’ you access to ma notes on th’ team.” Sam said as he glared at Danielle.

“I’ve got a duty to protect these kids so I have the right to know what kind of people you’re bringing to our school Sam.” Danielle said.

“Let’s get one thing straight Moonstar you **are** a bigot and you went lookin’ fer somethin’ to justify how you feel about me.” Mike told her.

“Those people were starving! There was no power and barely any water! We had to move them!” Mike yelled as his anger finally boiled over.  “Every night those damn Morlocks would crawl out of th’ sewers to attack us and steal th’ food and medicine we brought fer th’ civilians.” He said.  “We had to get those people out and Camp X-Ray was th’ only place they could go.” He told her. “We should have left th’ Morlocks down there to eat each other, but Bridge wanted to make an example of ‘em fer sidin’ with Apocalypse.  Those bastards set a trap fer us; they rigged th’ gas lines to explode, but it backfired and killed most of them instead.” He said. “I had to watch thirteen Rangers burn to death in those stinkin’ tunnels; so don’t you ever talk about Mutant Town in front of me again.” He said as he glared at her. Rahne reached up and put her hand on his shoulder to try to calm him. She didn't blame him for being angry, but it really upset her that they didn't get along and she didn't want them to fight anymore.

"This is the part where you apologize Dani." James said after what seemed an eternity of silence. He wasn’t happy that the people of Mutant Town were still in an **IDP** camp after a year, but he knew SHIELD wasn’t trying to persecute them.  Mike wasn’t responsible for their situation and he was angry that Danielle had tried use it against him like that.  He knew exactly what was wrong with her; she was angry and she wanted revenge for what happened to her, but her anger was misplaced.

"I’m sorry Mike, but I’m not a bigot.” Danielle said. “I just have a really hard time trusting anyone form the military after what Stryker did. I still don’t think a professional soldier belongs on an X-Team, but if Sam says you’re ok, then you must be." She said grudgingly. She knew she'd crossed the line; she hadn't meant to unload on Mike or Tabitha like that, but her temper had gotten away from her.

"Good, now if we're all done with this "mutant pride" bullshit; I've got a mission t' plan and we've got three days t' train fer it." Sam said. "RIGHT is planning something big and if I'm right, then we might be able t' finally take Hodge out fer good." He told them.

"What about the Reavers Sam?" James asked. He couldn't get the image of those kids nailed to those X-shaped crosses out of his mind and he wanted to tear Donald Pierce apart for it. That cyborg monster had tortured Rahne and Roberto years earlier and nearly destroyed the New Mutants and the X-Men. Now it seemed he'd rebuilt the Reavers and begun recruiting; capitalizing on the war to raise an army of mutant haters.

"Much as I hate t' say it, they've got t' wait." Sam said. "We think RIGHT's behind these kidnappings and we're pretty sure they're plannin' somethin' against th' school; so that makes them th' priority."

"Alright then, let's kick Hodge's ass for good this time." James said. "C'mon, let's get in a workout before we start training." He said as he, Mike and Tabitha got up and headed down to the gym. The institute had a gym specially designed for people with superhuman strength and the equipment could push even James to his limits.

"Sam, Ah'm coming with ye on this mission." Rahne said emphatically.

"Good, we're gonna need yer help. Come to th' Danger Room when yer're done with class." He said as he and Theresa headed down to team briefing room to work out their plan. Since the school hadn’t officially opened yet they only had class for a few hours three days a week, so Rahne would have time to train for the mission without neglecting her duties. Emma Frost didn't like X-Force and was looking for any excuse to punish Rahne for her continued involvement with the team.

"Dani, a word wit’ ye _in private_.” Rahne said angrily.

“Rahne…I’m sorry…”

"Ye should be!" Rahne interrupted as they walked out into the hallway. "Tabby treated ye like a friend! She trusted ye because  **Ah**  told her she could and now ye betrayed her! Ye have no idea how awful her life's been and ye have no right tae talk tae her like tha'!" Rahne said angrily.

“She called me a bigot!” Danielle exclaimed.

“Yer’re actin’ like one!” Rahne told her. "Ye’ve made up yer mind tha’ Mike’s no good, but ye dinnae even know him!" She said.

"Neither do you!  You only met him yesterday!" Danielle shot back. "There’s one thing about you hasn’t changed at all! You're still so desperate for a relationship that you'll fall for any guy who pays attention to you!" She said.

"We talked fer hours and Ah know enough tae know he’s a good man with a kind heart!" Rahne shouted. "He's jus' like us, he had th' same hopes and dreams we all did. He wanted tae help people, but he ended up bent and broken jus' like us." Rahne told her.

"Rahne, he's  ** _not_**  like us. He's a trained killer." Danielle said emphatically.

"So was muh dad." Rahne said angrily. Her adopted father, Joseph MacTaggart, had served in Scotland’s Royal Marines and Rahne didn't appreciate Danielle's disrespectful words. Her father wasn't a ‘ _killer’;_ he was a kind man who loved his country and his family. 

"I'm sorry Rahne; I shouldn't have said that." Danielle admitted. "I'm just worried about you, Mike's too old for you and you saw how he flew off the handle at Julian and Monet.  He’s messed up and I don't want to see you get hurt." She said.

"Stop actin' like ye know wha's best fer me Dani!" Rahne snapped. "Maybe ye havenae noticed, but Ah’ve grown up since ye’ve been gone! Ah'm  **nae** a needy little girl anymore and Ah can make muh own decisions." Rahne said emphatically. She was completely out of patience, Danielle had insulted Tabitha, Mike and her late father and now she was treating her like she was fourteen again.

"After everything we've been through, you're going to let a guy come between us?" Danielle asked, becoming emotional.

"It's nae about Mike, it's about  **ye**! Ah dinnae know who ye are anymore and Ah cannae deal wit' ye right now!" Rahne said as she stormed off. Danielle leaned back against the wall and started to cry.

 _'What's happening to me?'_  She wondered as Rahne's words rang in her ears.

 

**The Patio**

Rahne stepped out on the patio to get some air and clear her head. There had been too much drama this morning and she needed a moment to herself to calm down and think. She felt awful for yelling at Danielle the way she had; especially after all she'd been through the last few years. Still, Danielle was wrong to treat Mike the way she had and Tabitha had taken her into her confidence. She had been cruel to betray her trust and use her past against her like that. Rahne didn't regret what she'd said to Danielle, but she regretted how she'd said it and she knew she needed to apologize. She was upset she'd lost her temper, but Danielle should know better and Rahne was extremely protective of Tabitha after all they'd been through.

Rahne sat down on the low rock wall surrounding the patio, looking out toward the garden. It was pleasant this morning; the grass felt soft and cool beneath her bare feet and the breeze felt good as it blew through her hair. She was beginning to feel more like herself again and she took a moment to pray, asking God for help speaking to Danielle and for the success of their upcoming mission. She prayed she could let go of the hate she was feeling toward Cameron Hodge and RIGHT as well. Justice was one thing, revenge was quite another and she didn't want to give in to it; she didn't want to become a monster. 

 _'Those poor kids he's kidnapped are_ _ **my**_ _mission.'_ She thought as she continued to enjoy the peace and quiet of the garden.

"Rahne, are you ok?" Josh asked as he stepped out onto the patio.

"Ah'm fine." She sighed as she looked back over her shoulder at him. He just would not take a hint and she wasn't in the mood to deal with him this morning.

"You sure? Because I thought I heard you and Danielle yelling at each other." He said as he sat down beside her.

"We had a disagreement; it’s none of yer business." She told him. He'd become infatuated with her and while she'd thought it was cute at first, he was really starting to make her uncomfortable now. She'd rebuffed his advances and she wished he'd respect her wishes and leave her alone. The last thing Rahne needed was for a rumor to get started among the students. Emma Frost didn't like her at all and she was adamantly opposed to Ororo letting her teach. She'd try to destroy Rahne's reputation and use this as evidence that she was too young to teach her class if she got the chance.

"Was it about that new guy?" Josh asked.

"Ah said its none of yer business." Rahne said tersely.

"Did you  _really_  go out with him last night?" Josh asked incredulously.

"Yes, we're dating.” Rahne said, completely exasperated. “So stop followin' me about like a lost puppy." She told him, hoping Josh would finally get the message.

“But…I…I thought you liked _me_.” Josh said, completely crushed. He'd been coming on to her for weeks and getting nowhere; but she'd gone to dinner with Mike and they'd only just met. He didn’t understand what Rahne saw in him; he wasn’t one of the “famous” Avengers and that scar on his face was really ugly.

“Wha’ have Ah ever said tae give ye tha’ idea?” Rahne asked.  She could see how hurt he was and she felt a little bad about it, but she wasn’t the least bit interested in a relationship with him and she wasn’t aware she’d done anything to make him think she was.

“You were so nice to me when I first got here.” Josh said.

“Aye, because Ah knew how scared and lonely ye felt.” Rahne said. “Ah was scared and alone when Ah first went tae Xavier’s and Ah jus’ wanted ye tae know tha’ yer life’s nae over because yer’re a mutant and tha’ things get better.” She told him.  “Ah was jus’ tryin’ tae help Josh; th’ same as Ah try tae help everyone who comes here.” She explained.

“That’s it?” Josh said, feeling like a complete fool.  Rahne _was_ always trying to comfort the other students when they felt sad or homesick and she hadn’t treated him any differently from Megan, Victor or Cessily.

“Of course tha’s it.” Rahne said.  “Are ye aff yer head? Ah’m a teacher.” She reminded him

"You're not a  _real_  teacher." He said, although he instantly wished he hadn't when he saw the look on her face.

“Ah’m real enough tae have muh own squad!” Rahne said angrily.  At nineteen she was barely older than some of her students, but she had years of experience and Ororo trusted her to mentor the next generation.  She didn’t consider herself a role model, but she took the responsibility placed on her seriously and she’d never do anything to break Ororo’s trust in her.    

“I’m just saying that the rules don’t apply to us Rahne.” Josh said, trying to calm her down. “We’re close to the same age and you’re just an aide so its no big deal if…”

“Stop right there!” Rahne snapped. “Tha’s yer problem Josh! Ye think th’ rules dinnae apply tae ye! Ye think yer’re special, but yer’re nae!” She said angrily.  She’d tried to punish him for his disobedience, but Danielle had undermined her and Josh still hadn’t learned his lesson.

“I’m the only Class 5 mutant here!” He exclaimed.

“Yer’re an arrogant, immature jerk!” Rahne told him. “Ye think Ah should be impressed by yer class rating?!” She asked incredulously.

“Well what _does_ impress you then?!” Josh asked angrily.

“Honor, bravery, generosity and kindness fer starters.” Rahne said. “A life lived in service tae others, faith in Jesus, patriotism and a commitment tae family. Tha’s wha’ impresses me Josh; nae some artificial gene tha’ came from an alien.” Rahne told him.

“That’s not fair Rahne.” Josh said.  It was obvious she was describing Mike and everything she admired about him.  Josh was only sixteen; he’d just gotten his powers and there was no way he could compete with the former Avenger with all his life experience.

“Life’s nae fair Josh.” Rahne said in a disgusted tone. “It’s nae fair Ah was abused as a child, its nae fair Ah’m a mutant, it’s nae fair muh dad and muh boyfriend died saving me, its nae fair wha’ happened tae Dani, its nae fair Ah had tae go tae war and its nae fair Ah was tortured by Sinister.” She said angrily.  She’d told the new students a few fun stories about her adventures with the New Mutants when she was younger, but she’d never shared anything like that and Josh was too shocked to speak for a moment.

“Yer’re tae young tae know anything about me or wha’ Ah’ve been through.” Rahne told him.  “Ah want a man in muh life, a man who shares muh beliefs and values, a man who’ll love me and put me first in his life…nae a naïve boy.”

“I could make you happy if you’d give me a chance.” Josh said despondently.

“Ye dinnae even know what would make **_ye_** happy.” Rahne said, trying not to lose her temper. "Ye dinnae want a girl with all muh problems; ye want a normal girl ye can relate too." She told him.   

"No, I want  _you_." He said as he leaned over and kissed her.  Rahne pulled away and slapped him as hard as she could.  She couldn’t believe he’d done that to her and she felt violated.

“Dinnae **ever** touch me again!” Rahne yelled as Josh staggered back, holding the side of his face. “If Ah have tae beat some respect intae ye Ah will, but by God yer’re goin’ tae respect me as a mentor _and_ a woman!” She yelled. Rahne was completely out of patience; she'd tried to explain things to him, but he was just too arrogant to listen.

"Yes ma'am…" Josh mumbled. He was angry and humiliated, but he knew better than to push Rahne any further. He’d just crossed a huge red line and he knew he was lucky to be walking away with only a red, stinging cheek.

"Tha's better." Rahne said. "Now leave me alone! Ah’ve worked tae hard tae get fired over some snot nosed boy!" She warned him as he turned and stormed away back to his room.

**Sub-Level 1 – Gym**

“I’m sorry about that horseshit at breakfast.” James said as he helped Mike load the bar of the bench press.

“That bitch has some serious jealousy issues.” Mike said.  He didn’t really care what Danielle thought about him, but he was angry that she’d tried to embarrass Tabitha and hurt her like that.  He hadn’t known Tabitha long, but she was his friend and he respected her.  Anyone who could still find so much joy in life after all she’d been through was truly special and this awful world didn’t deserve her.

“She and Sam used to be a thing before she lost her powers.” James said.

“I get why she hates me, but she better leave Tabitha alone.” Mike said as he started his set.  Mike was lifting 550lbs, which was nothing for a superhuman brute like James but it was a good warmup for a peak human.

“I can handle her Mike.” Tabitha said as she walked in and sat down next to them to tape up her ankles. She was a skilled gymnast and her acrobatics had often saved her from danger.  She usually started with some floor exercises before she moved to the weights with the guys.

“I know.” Mike said as he slammed the bar back into the rack and sat up. “But I don’t like people tryin’ to hurt my friends.”

“Me neither.” Tabitha said as she stood up. “So she’s gonna get a nasty surprise if she talks trash to you again.” She said as a small plasma orb sparkled in her hand.  She was grateful to Mike for saving Sam’s life in the war, but they’d become good friends on their own mission together to spy on RIGHT.  She was really angry with Danielle for treating him so disrespectfully and she understood why he felt the same way about her.

“Be careful out there Tabs.” James said as he loaded 750lbs for Mike. He was always amazed at her grace and agility, but at the same time he was always worried she might break her neck tumbling like that.

“I’ve gotten soft…” Mike grunted as he strained against the weight. He used to be able to press 1,000lbs before the war, but he’d been out of the gym for a while now and his injuries had also taken their toll.  His back and shoulders hurt, but SHIELD Rangers were taught to ignore pain and fight through anything so he’d be damned if he was going to let this stop him.  

"So, you and Rahne?" James asked Mike finished his set and sat up.

"Yeah, me and Rahne." Mike said as he reached for a bottle of Gatorade and James loaded 880lbs for him. James wasn't surprised; Rahne was strong, she shared Mike's faith and they'd both grown up fighting so their attraction to each other was natural.

"Mike, she's special. She's the soul of this team, you remember that and don't you  _ever_  do anything to hurt her." James said emphatically. "She had an awful childhood, worse than Tabitha, but she's overcome it and she's the best of us; you make sure you treat her with the respect she deserves." He said.

"I will Jimmy." Mike said as he lay back down for another set.

**Josh and David's Room**

"What are you so butt-hurt about?" David asked as Josh slammed the door to their room and kicked the trash can over as he flopped down on his bed in a huff. David was trying to study and Josh's tantrum was rude and aggravating.

"Shut up." Josh snapped.

"I guess Ms. MacTaggart must have finally put you in your place, huh?" David asked, noticing the huge red mark on Josh’s cheek. He'd seen Josh staring at her earlier so it wasn't that hard to figure out what had happened. Kitty had brought David to the institute as soon as it reopened and in that time he'd learned a lot about Rahne and the other X-Men. He respected her and thought she was a good mentor who really had her student's best interest at heart. He didn't want her to get in trouble because of Josh and he'd warned him before to leave her alone.

"I _said_ shut up!" Josh said angrily.

"What were you even thinking?" David asked. “She’s a war hero; she wouldn’t want to date some high school kid even if she weren’t one of our mentors.” He said. It was laughable that Josh actually thought he had a chance with Rahne. She was a kind, thoughtful woman who only cared about helping others despite her own life being filled with hardship and regret. She'd saved the world before she'd even learned to drive and she'd selflessly risked her life to defend the world from Apocalypse. There was no way he could ever possibly relate to her or understand the trauma she'd endured and it was obvious he was only interested in her as a trophy.

"Fuck you." Josh hissed.

"Really?" David asked as Josh turned his music up just to be as annoying as possible. David considered punching him for a split second, but Josh wasn't worth detention and he knew he had to be the bigger man anyway.

"Really." Josh answered.

"I'll be in the library until you're done being an asshole." David said as he packed up his books and left. Josh was immature and he often got on David's last nerve, but he was so pathetic that David couldn't help but feel bad for him. He tried to give him the benefit of the doubt and help him out when he could because Josh had been disowned by his parents. Still, there were times like this when David ran out of patience and wished he had a new roommate.

 **Danger** **Room** **Control Center**

**-Later that Morning-**

"I gave you a uniform to wear Mr. Holmes." Hank said indignantly as Mike walked into the control room after his workout, wearing his old armor. Mike had come to get a retina scan and security clearance from Kitty so the Danger Room computer would allow him to train.

"Your armor is falling apart." He added.

"It'll hold up." Mike told him as he looked into the scanner. "I appreciate th' offer, but that uniform ya gave me fits like a cheap hotel." Mike said .

"Come again?” Hank asked, not recognizing the reference.

"No ballroom." Forge explained. He wasn't a fan of the uniforms either and he really didn't blame Mike for refusing to wear it. His armor might be worn out, but it still offered better protection than Hank’s new uniforms. The plates were made of a super strong, super light alloy called _tritanium_ that Eddie McDonough had created at Hornet Labs.  Mike also wore a super durable body suit underneath called _Iron Hide_ that he designed himself.  It was made of self-repairing smart molecules and it could stop most projectiles except for Beowulf rounds.  It was also resistant to temperature extremes and electrical discharges.

“I can make some alterations.” Hank offered.

“Forge and I have already talked about some new armor.  I’m good.” Mike said, wishing Hank to drop it.

"Melinda is going to get started on a new suit for you next week." Forge told him. “When this is over we’ll all get back in the lab and finish Eddie’s work.” He said.

"Thanks Forge, fer everything." Mike said.  Melinda had lost her uncle and most of her life’s work when Apocalypse destroyed New York City, but thanks to Forge she could continue to do the work she loved and help people.

"I've got you're access codes and security clearance programmed Mike, but I don't like your codename; Wraith sounds like a super villain." Kitty said as she finished entering his information.

"My name is  **Wrath**." Mike answered as he adjusted his mask.  _'Why do people keep getting that wrong?'_ _H_ e wondered.

"That's even worse!" Kitty protested.

"Well, pardon me all t' hell  _Sprite_." He said sarcastically.

"That's low." Kitty fumed. "I was just a kid…"

"No, low would have been bringing up that awesome rainbow costume with th' roller blades…oh, wait…" Mike teased.

"Playground banter aside Mr. Holmes, I wish you’d consider a costume with a slightly less "villainous" look about it." Hank said.  "We want the public to trust us, not fear us." He added.

“Th’ public is never gonna see me.” Mike told him.

“Good, because they’d probably die laughing that you’re carrying a sword in the 21st century.” Kitty said sarcastically.  He had a huge broadsword strapped to his back over his right shoulder along with a Forge Industries AR-36 Hellbringer assault rifle and she thought he looked absolutely ridiculous.

“You look like something drawn on the front of a 10 year old’s Trapper Keeper.” She said, still fuming over his insult about her old costume.

“I learned a long time ago that bullets don’t stop everybody.” Mike explained. “But decapitation will solve _all_ yer problems.” He added condescendingly. 

“So I take it you’ve met Wolverine then?” Forge said, trying to lighten the mood.  He didn’t know about the argument at breakfast, but it was clear that Mike and Kitty weren’t having a good morning.

“Yeah, we go _way_ back.” Mike said.

“Then it’s a miracle you’re still alive.” Kitty said as she finished uploading his biometric data and excused herself.  She was tough, but Piotr’s loss was hard for her to bear even after a year and she’d had a rough night dreaming about him.  She’d waked in a bad mood and Mike had pushed all the wrong buttons.

“You certainly have a way with people Mr. Holmes.” Hank said sarcastically as Kitty stormed out of the room.

“You’ll get used to me.” Mike said bluntly.

“I believe your team is expecting you.” Hank said curtly as he noticed X-Force gathering in the Danger Room below.

"Ya'll excuse me." Mike said as he left to join them.

"Insufferable lout." Hank said indignantly.

“Give that guy a break Hank; I’m pretty sure he’s still fighting that damn war.” Forge said.

“James didn’t mention any PTSD yesterday when he examined him.” Hank said.

“Well he wouldn’t, would he?” Forge asked. “He doesn’t see people, he sees specimens and his mind his so logical he can’t really relate to anyone on that level.” He explained.

“I better examine his scans.” Hank said as he excused himself.  He didn’t agree with the methods X-Force employed or their decision to bring Mike to the school, but it was his duty as a doctor to help him if he could.

**Sub-Level 3**

"You goin' fer a swim?" Mike asked as he met Rahne coming out of the women's locker room. Her X-Men costume looked just like a blue and gold one piece swimsuit and Mike didn't know the difference since he'd never seen her in it. Her costume was more revealing than her dress the night before and he was really impressed by her physique.

"No ye doofus, this is muh costume. Ah've got a class tae teach this mornin'." She said.

" _That's_  yer costume?" He asked in disbelief.

"Aye, Cyclops says th' black uniforms scare people." She said, rolling her eyes. She was a werewolf; she looked terrifying no matter what she was wearing.

"Yeah, and runnin’ around wearin’ a giant blue condom is gonna make people feel so much better." Mike said sarcastically as Rahne started laughing. "Don't ya have any armor?" He asked, becoming serious again. He was concerned that she looked so vulnerable and he thought Scott was an idiot for making her wear that.

"Ah dinnae fight in this Mike; Ah’m nae officially on their team.” Rahne explained. “Ah jus’ wear this tae teach, but it can stop bullets." She told him. “Ah like yer armor, but it Ah cannae wear it since Ah change forms.” She said.

"Fair enough, but no boots?" He asked. Rahne was barefooted except for braces on her ankles with instep pads on each foot.

"Ah dinnae need boots, Ah'm a werewolf." She said as she morphed to her hybrid form, completely covered in reddish-brown fur with razor-sharp claws and fangs. "Stop worryin' so much, Ah'm tougher than Ah look." She said.

"I know yer're strong Rahne and I'm glad yer're gonna be watchin' my back on th' mission." Mike said. Rahne was pleased that he respected her and her skills. Most people thought she was too small to fight; but she was fierce, with superhuman strength and expert training.

"Listen, I had a great time with you last night and…"

"Mike!" Sam interrupted as he and Theresa dashed out of the elevator into the hall. "Where are th' others?!"

"In th' Danger Room gettin' ready fer trainin'." Mike answered. "Th' hells th' matter?!"

"We got a message from Cypher." He said. "It's worse than we thought, they've got more hostages and we gotta go in today." He added as they all headed for the Danger Room.

 _‘Why am I not surprised you’re involved in this Cypher?’_ Mike thought. This mission was going to be difficult enough already, but now with mutant hostages to rescue, there was absolutely no room for error and they were definitely going to need every advantage. Cypher was a Hacktivist who'd caused a lot of trouble a few years earlier, but he'd since reformed. Now he was constantly causing trouble for AIM, HYDRA, RIGHT and anyone else who threatened world peace in general and mutants in particular. Mike had dealt with him in the past and he was willing to trust him despite all the trouble he’d caused, but he wished Sam had told him that they’d be working together.

**Danger Room**

"Listen up." Sam said to the others as he, Theresa, Mike and Rahne entered the Danger Room. "RIGHT just brought in a truck load of prisoners and it looks like they're a lot further along in their plan than we thought." He said ominously. "We gotta go in today and we gotta be perfect; I'm not puttin' one of those kids in a body bag." He said as everyone became dead serious and ready for action.

"I thought you were supposed to be on top of this." James said sarcastically as Cypher's avatar appeared on the monitor and the Danger Room projected a three-dimensional map of the facility for the team to study.

" _I am! Breaking in is easy, it's not being noticed that's the trick Warpath_!" Cypher said.  _"They know they're vulnerable and they've taken every precaution; it's like trying to hack A.R.M.O.R. without being noticed."_ He explained.

"Who?" James asked.

 _"Never mind."_  Cypher said.  _"We wouldn't even know this much if Wrath hadn't been able to get inside and upload my spy program."_  He said.  _"Boomer hacked the program that operates their security cameras so I can watch them, but that's about it at this point. If I dig any deeper I’ll trip the firewall and they'll know I'm there."_  He told them. His voice was distorted by one of the many security programs he'd written. He was still wanted and he took no chances, even Sam didn't know his real identity.

"There's definitely some next-level shit goin' on in there." Mike said. "They were bringin' in all kinds of top of th' line medical equipment from United Genetics. Plus th' place was crawlin' with those AIM armor suits they love so much." Mike said. It was clear from what Mike had seen on the ground and from the plans and purchase orders Cypher had stolen when he'd hacked their base in Chicago; that they were trying to rebuild the Genengineer's lab. Many of RIGHT's soldiers were former Genoshan Special Forces and Hodge himself was a Genoshan spy. Unfortunately, they were obviously a lot further along than the team realized and all their careful planning had been undone.

Sam had given Mike the mission when he and Tabitha had gone to talk to him about joining X-Force. Sam had given Mike an image inducer and he’d broken into the RIGHT facility while Tabitha acted as his guardian angel.  She’d hacked the security cameras and kept him one step ahead of the enemy as he scouted the base and uploaded Cypher’s worm program.

"That's a lot of guns." James said; studying the map as Tabitha and Theresa nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, there's a lot of 'em in there, but I've got a plan." Sam said. "Cypher's been workin' on a virus that will allow him total control of their defense system. Once Boomer plants that thing; we'll turn their toys against 'em."

 _"Cannonball…this may not be the best time to mention this, but I've never tested the virus; I don't know well it will work."_  Cypher said.

"It better work." Theresa said firmly. "It's not like we really have a choice, we have to go in and save those kids." she said. Cypher knew she was right and he wished he had offensive powers like the others so he could do more than just spy for them. He really admired Boomer, Cannonball and Siryn, they were strong, brave and resourceful and he'd give anything to be like them.

"How many hostages?" Rahne asked. If RIGHT was going to experiment on them, then they probably wouldn't hurt them  _too_  badly, but she'd experienced Hodge's cruelty first hand and she was going to be prepared.

"We think eight." Theresa answered.

"I'm not questionin’ ya'lls leadership, but we're gonna need some more people. Me and Rahne can't handle that many  _ **and**_  fight th' smileys." Mike said. RIGHT painted sinister smiley faces on their assault suits earning them the codename "smileys" from SHIELD.

"Here's yer back up." Sam said as Laura and Forge entered the Danger Room. "Forge agreed to fly for us and give us some air support." He said. They were both dressed in black X-Force style uniforms and Forge was eager for revenge against Hodge for his crimes on Genosha and his attack on the mansion years earlier that cost him an arm and a leg.

"I've got some unfinished business with our dear friend Cameron." He said coldly.

"We all do, but those kids are our number one priority." Sam said. "They go home even if we don't." He said as Forge nodded in agreement. Some of the others might disapprove of their actions, but he respected X-Force and was glad to help them.

"Laura, ye stick with Mike unless I tell ye different; no runnin' off on yer own." Theresa ordered. The X-Men wouldn't let her go on missions with them, but when she'd heard that RIGHT had kidnapped children for their cruel experiments, she'd begged Sam to let her accompany X-Force. Sam had serious reservations about including her, but he realized the X-Men weren't helping her by making her decisions for her. This was clearly something she cared deeply about; it wasn't blood lust or revenge and they needed her; those kids needed her.

“Laura, is this something _you_ want to do?” Mike interrupted.  He knew about all the horrible things she’d been forced to do and he wouldn’t stand for anyone using her as a weapon again, not even Sam.

“Yes Michael; I will not allow those children to be used as weapons the way I was. I must help them.” She said firmly.  Mike didn’t need telepathy to know she was dead serious about saving those children from her fate.  He still didn’t want her to go, but he had no right to stop her either.

"Mike, you Tabby and Laura are going in first to locate th' kids and disable their defenses. Do not screw this up." Sam said firmly.

"We got this." Tabitha said as they studied the map.

' _This is just crazy enough to work.'_  Mike thought as Sam laid out the plan for them. He was really impressed that Sam and Theresa had put this operation together on such incredibly short notice and he knew he'd made the right choice joining X-Force.

Tabitha was a capable hacker and she carried a kit full of Forge's gadgets to aid her, but for a mission this big, Cypher was going to assist her. Sam was going to fly the PACRAT directly over the base, cloaked, and Tabitha, Mike and Laura were going to bail out and parachute onto the roof. Once inside, Tabitha would hack in and upload Cypher's "warlock" virus, giving them both complete access to RIGHT's files and security system. Mike and Laura would rescue the prisoners while Sam and the others captured Hodge and dealt with the RIGHT agents so they could all escape.

"I'm goin' t' prep th' P.A.C.R.A.T." Sam said. "Get yer gear ready and makes sure Beast, Nemesis and Reyes are ready fer th' prisoners." He ordered. Rahne ran to change into her X-Force uniform while Mike took Laura to the armory for more weapons.

The Personal Assault Carrier for Recon/Aquatic/Terrain or PACRAT as the team called it was a supersonic, armored aircraft designed by Cable, the former leader of X-Force. It was an ugly, triangular shaped aircraft with stubby wings and a short tail that housed the main engine. It had two smaller engines near the top of the fuselage at the rear and two powerful plasma cannons under each wing. It wasn't as fast as the X-Men's Blackbird, but it had a cloaking device as well a large crew cabin and even a medical station. The PACRAT was designed to serve as a mobile base of operations and could even navigate underwater if necessary.

**Aboard the PACRAT En Route to RIGHT Genetics Facility**

"Take this." Rahne said as she handed Mike one of her first-aid kits. "Patch 'em up best ye can if they need it and I'll do th' rest when ye get back tae th' PACRAT." She told him. She knew he didn't have her level of expertise, but he had enough training to be a help to her. She'd rather go in on the rescue team, but Sam needed her on the assault team in case anything went wrong and she always followed his orders.

"I like this uniform better." He said as he looked her over. "It's got armor in  _all_  th' right places." He joked, pointing to the armor plating over her breasts. Her black and gray uniform was the best she'd ever worn; it offered the best protection while not hindering her mobility. She was still barefooted because she needed her claws to climb, but this uniform had pants that reached her knees as well as an armor vest that was lightweight and somewhat flexible to accommodate her shape shifting.

"Keep yuir mind on th’ mission. Ye can stare at muh boobs when ye get back." Rahne said.

"Thanks, I think I will." He admitted, making her blush. "Listen, about th' mission. I know yer're tougher than I am, but promise me you'll be careful. I've lost too many friends." He said, becoming serious again.

"I will, and ye better come home tae." She told him as he took her hand in both of his. There was still a lot she didn't know about him, but she wanted too and it was clear he really cared about her as well.

"I'll see ye on th' ground." She said as she headed back to her seat.

"We're coming up on the drop zone, get ready to jump." James said as stepped through the hatch into the hold of the PACRAT. He was 7'2" 350lbs of pure destruction and he was wearing his war paint which made him look even more intimidating.

' _Glad you're on my side.'_  Mike thought as he got up and closed the face shield on his helmet. His helmet design was similar to Ironman's and it was strong enough to stop most bullets and provided good protection even against superhuman blows. Laura immediately jumped up and put her mask on, ready for action, but Tabitha was still sitting there, rocking out to God knows what on her headphones and popping her bubble gum every few minutes. She seemed like a goofball, but Mike had seen her in action and he knew how tough she could be.

"Boomer! Time to kick some ass." Mike said as he nudged her.

"I'm ready." She said as Mike helped her strap on her parachute. She tried not to let herself dwell on tragedy and negative thoughts, but she was disgusted by RIGHT and they were going to pay for hurting those kids and her friends. Laura didn't know what to think about Tabitha, but if Mike trusted her then she knew she should as well.

"What the hell do you need with this much gun?" James asked as he helped Mike strap his assault rifle to his leg. The had an armory full of Forge Industries best weapons and Mike had picked the biggest assault rifle they had.

"This is made fer takin’ down assault suits." Mike said as he checked Tabitha's parachute for her. "Superior penetration against armor." He explained. The Forge Industries Assault Rifle model 36 was a large, heavy firearm meant to be carried by a soldier wearing powered body armor, but Mike was more than capable of carrying it unaided. Its powerful rounds could penetrate assault suit armor and its integrated shotgun and 40mm grenade launcher made it an ideal anti-personnel weapon as well.

"Mines bigger." James joked as he pointed to the mini-gun Forge had converted for him to carry. Forge had rigged up a backpack with a power source and thousands of rounds of ammunition, making the formerly vehicle mounted weapon portable for James due to his super human strength.

"I've never needed more." Mike retorted. James couldn't help but laugh as he strapped Laura to Mike's chest for a tandem jump and handed her a sniper rifle. This plan was dangerous and daring, but it was going to work, he trusted Tabitha with his life and he knew Mike was more than capable; he'd die to protect those kids and so would Laura.

"You two are idiots." Laura told them.

"Codenames only from here on…GO!" He yelled as he lowered the ramp and the trio bailed out, hurtling toward the research facility half hidden by the trees below. They waited till the last second before pulling their parachutes and they continued their silent descent as X-23 took aim at the guards on the roof with her silenced sniper rifle. She dropped the first one and took out the other one on the opposite side of the roof before he even knew what was happening. Wrath was impressed by her skill, she was even better than SHIELD's intel said she'd be. Neither of them took any pleasure in killing, but nothing was going to stop them from rescuing those children and they'd do whatever they had too.

They landed on the roof and X-23 quickly cut herself free of her harness and helped her teammates hide the parachutes. Wrath strapped her rifle to his back and grabbed his assault rifle as they headed for the door leading to the stairs. They had to be quick, the rest of X-Force would be in position soon since everyone but Wolfsbane could fly and Cannonball could carry her. Boomer was going to hack RIGHT's computer systems from their main control room, giving both she and Cypher complete access to their network while X-23 and Wrath secured the children and prepped them for evacuation. Boomer alone was bad enough, but with Cypher's help they were going to cause so much chaos that RIGHT wouldn't know what hit them.

"Try before ya pry." Wrath said as he grabbed a key card off the nearest dead guard and opened the door. X-23 gave him an approving look, but Boomer sulked; she could muffle the sounds of her explosions and she never missed an opportunity to blow something up.

"You're no fun Wrath." She whispered as they made their way inside.

"Four guards." Wrath whispered as they reached the bottom of the stairs.  _'I got the two in the middle you two get the ones on either side of them.'_  Wrath said telepathically as he linked to their minds.  _'GO!'_  he yelled as they leaped out of the shadows, taking the RIGHT agents by surprise. Wrath slammed his fist into the nearest one, crushing his sternum and ribs as he sent him flying back down the hallway into the wall. X-23 impaled another agent with her claws as Boomer blasted one with a silenced bomb, knocking him senseless. Wrath whirled before the last agent could react and snapped his spine with a vicious kick to back. A baseline human didn’t stand much chance against him with his peak human strength, speed and reflexes; the fight was over before it had even started. X-23 was impressed by Boomer's skill and she felt better about leaving her alone once they'd found the control room.

Cypher kept them apprised of the guards movements as Wrath lead the team to the control room. They quietly dispatched the guards and tied up the tech specialist for questioning later. By the time the rest of the team was in position, Boomer had hacked in and she and Cypher had found the children.

 _"Cannonball, I'm in. I knocked out the security system and the mutant detectors, but there's a lot of data here and the defense system program is heavily encrypted; this is gonna take a minute."_ He explained.  _"Hodge is in the command center and Wrath is almost to the cellblock; this is gonna be close."_  He added. Wrath and X-23 were heading for the cellblock and he had to work fast before Hodge figured out that he was breaking into the system. Boomer was busy downloading all the data she could on RIGHT's operations while keeping an eye on Wrath and X-23 through the security system.

 _"Heads up gorgeous, you've got company."_  Cypher warned as he noticed several RIGHT agents heading for the control room.

"Whatevs'…." Boomer said as she continued to monitor Wrath and X-23.

**The Cellblock**

"I underestimated you." X-23 said as Wrath punched the last guard so hard he caved in his helmet and broke half the bones in his face. She was surprised by his skill and his ferocity, he wasn't like the X-Men; he was brutal like she was. He hadn't killed the RIGHT agents, but he'd hurt them so badly, they'd be lucky to ever walk again.

"This is what I did in th’ Rangers." Wrath said. As an Avenger, he and the Fallen Angels had dealt with mostly mid-level super villain threats, but as an Agent of SHIELD he’d specialized in recon and hostage rescue. Mike was a member of SHEILD’s elite Psi-Ops Division and attached to the 5th Company of the SHIELD Rangers. He was only average as an Avenger, but he excelled as a Ranger and had made a name for himself over the years.

"Wait." She said as she drew her pistol. One of the wounded guards was still moving and he needed to be eliminated.

"No, we only kill in self-defense or to protect an innocent." Wrath said as he stopped her. "Besides, this trash ain't worth wastin' a bullet on anyway." He snorted as he stomped the wounded agent in the face, knocking him out. He walked up to the door and nearly ripped it off its hinges with a ferocious kick. Everything had gone like clockwork, they'd been quiet and they'd been quick, but now they had eight civilians to deal with. There were seven children and one adult, four were pre-teens and two were injured, things just got a lot more difficult.

"We're X-Force, we're here to get ya'll out." He said as they all cowered in fear. He looked more terrifying than the fiends who'd put them in there and the black-haired woman with the claws was just as frightening.

 _'Filthy bastards, put these people in cages like animals.'_  He thought as he and X-23 rushed to their aid. There was an Asian woman trapped in the cage in the middle of the room and Wrath freed her first. She'd been badly beaten by the RIGHT agents, but she still had a defiant look in her eyes and he knew she could help them get the youngsters to safety.

"How bad are ya hurt?" He asked as he ripped the cage door off and she rushed to one of the nearby cages holding two of the children.

"I'm fine! Please, help me get them out!" She pleaded as Wrath ripped off the door, reuniting the family. Her nose was broken and one eye was swelled shut from the vicious beating she'd endured, but she'd suffered worse and her only concern was for her family.

"They yer kids?" He asked. She didn't look near old enough to be their mother, but they were treating her like it.

"I'm their sister; my name is Xi’an." She said.

"I'm Wrath, that's X-23." He told her as he got up to free the others.

"Go with her." X-23 said, pointing to Xi’an. The two little blonde girls she'd just freed quickly ran to Xian and her siblings. Madelyn and Haley both began crying as Xi’an gathered them in her arms, trying to comfort them.

"It's alright, they're here to help us." She told them.

"Who are you?" Wrath asked as he ripped away another cage door and helped a tall girl with long brown hair and pointed ears to her feet. This girl was almost as tall than he was and she ached all over from being trapped in that little cage.

"I'm Callie…Callie Betto." She said as Wrath ripped her inhibitor collar off.

"I know yer're scared." Wrath said as he raised his mask. "But right now I need you and Xi’an to help with those two little girls and her kids. Me and X are gonna be real busy in a minute." He said. It wouldn't take Cypher much longer to break the code and they had to be ready to run for the PACRAT as soon as Forge landed. Hopefully, the RIGHT would be so busy with the others that he could land without taking fire, but Cannonball had identified a nearby bunker they could shelter the prisoners in if they had to.

"Where's the rest of your team?!" Xi’an asked, becoming alarmed. That cyborg monster she'd tried to fight earlier was a one man army and she'd seen at least twenty armor suits when she'd tried to escape and save the others. There was no way these two could take them all and she was desperate to save her siblings.

"Dealin' with th' bastard that put ya'll in here." Wrath answered as he freed a young teen who looked like Wolfsbane in her hybrid form. This kid was tiny, even shorter than Wolfsbane in her natural form, but beast mutants were usually pretty strong so he might be able to help.

"How old are you boy?" Wrath asked as he ripped the cage door off.

"Thirteen." Nicholas answered, not sure what to make of his rescuer. Wrath ripped the inhibitor collar from around his neck, freeing his powers as X-23 freed the last prisoner.

"What's yer name?" Wrath asked, sensing his fear.

"Nicholas." He said.

"How bad is he hit?" Wrath asked X-23 as she examined the older boy's injury. He'd been shot in the leg and beaten up when he was captured, but it was nothing so serious that they couldn't move him.

"He will live." She replied. She had the bedside manner of a butcher school dropout, but he trusted her judgment and he knew she wouldn't endanger those kids. He could sense her determination and he knew that he and Kiden were right about her. She wasn't a monster and there was nothing evil about her despite the terrible things she'd been forced to do.

"What is your name?" X-23 asked him as Wrath began to treat his injury.

"Mark Sheppard." He answered.

"Wrath and I cannot carry you." She said bluntly. "You will keep up or you will get these children killed. Do you understand?" She asked.

"I'll keep up." Mark said.

"Time to man up Nic." Wrath told Nicholas as he finished bandaging Mark's leg. "Grab him, follow me and keep yer head down!" He ordered as his mask snapped back into place.

"Yes sir." Nicholas said quietly as he grabbed Mark and got ready to run.

"I got point X, back me up!" He snapped as he put his rifle to his shoulder and headed down the hall as they followed at a distance.  _'They're going to pay for what they did to that kid.'_  He thought.

**The Control Room**

"Move away from the computer or you're dead little girl!" the RIGHT agent ordered as he kicked open the door and took aim at Boomer.

"You forgot to say please." Boomer scoffed as she psionically detonated the bomb she'd planted at the door, blasting the RIGHT agents back out into the hall.  _'Idiot.'_  She thought. He wasn't going to shoot her and risk hitting the main computer, but she always had an ace in the hole, Domino had taught her well.

 _"I've got it, get ready to move!"_  Cypher said as he finally broke the encryption. He jammed every door in the complex, locked down the hangar so no more armored soldiers could get out and set the automated defense system to target the RIGHT agents. Boomer finished the download and ran to meet up with Wrath and X-23; all hell was breaking loose and they'd need her help.

 **The Command** **Center**

"I don't like it; somethin' don't feel right." Cannonball said as Warpath stepped out into the hall and opened fire on the armored soldiers guarding the entrance.

"We willnae get another chance like this!" Wolfsbane reminded him.

"Ok…Siryn, get th' door!" he yelled as she tore the armored doors off their hinges with her powerful scream.

"Damn! You were right!" Warpath cursed as they charged into the control room and found it dark and empty.

"Mutant detected!" A menacing robotic voice said as a pair of red eyes blazed in the darkness. The sinister chorus continued as more pairs of eyes shown in the darkness and the team realized they were surrounded.

"Sentinels!" Wolfsbane gasped.

"Didn't see this comin'." Siryn said.

**The Research Center**

"Laura!" Boomer screamed as X-23 used her body to shield the younger children from incoming fire.

"Stay focused Boomer!" She yelled as she healed up and tore into the RIGHT agent, slashing him to death with her claws. Wrath didn't have time to reload, but he flew at the remaining RIGHT agent in a rage, ramming his knife through his chest as he took aim at the kids. Blood splattered on the wall as he whirled and attacked the remaining agents with X-23. Several more armored soldiers attacked from behind, but they were not match for Boomer and Xi’an who were guarding the rear.

Boomer was no stranger to the horror of battle, but she was still shocked by X-23 and Wrath. Warpath said he was a one man slaughter-house, but she hadn't fully understood just how brutal and frightening he could be. His demeanor had changed as soon as they'd hit the ground and his ferocity rivaled X-23 as they tore through the RIGHT agents. Wrath was trained to do whatever was necessary to protect hostages and non-combatants and Boomer respected his skill and resolve even if it was terrifying to behold.

"Be strong for them Callie; it'll be over soon." Boomer said, trying to comfort the traumatized teen. Madelyn and Haley, the youngest captives, were crying and clinging to her for comfort and it was all she could do to hold herself together for them. Beside her, Xi’an watched as Wrath hurled a RIGHT agent against the wall, shattering his bones and X-23 impaled two more with her claws. They seemed unstoppable and for the first time Xi’an began to understand how truly frightening mutants could be.

 _"Forge! We need evac! RIGHT is goin' ape-shit down here!"_  Wrath yelled into the radio as he reloaded.

 _"It's not looking good outside either."_  Forge told him.  _"I've lost contact with the assault team. I'll have a look on the next pass! Get to the landing zone!"_  He ordered.

 _"Cannonball?!"_  X-23 yelled as she tried to raise him on the radio. "They are jamming us." She said ominously.

"I got somethin' fer that." Wrath answered.  _'Sam?! What's going on?!'_  He asked as he telepathically linked the team's minds.  _'Sentinels!'_ Sam yelled.  _'We're surrounded, you know what to do!'_  He ordered.

"We can't just leave them!" Boomer yelled.

"You are a soldier Boomer, you know the risk and you know your duty! Don't let your emotions cloud your judgment!" X-23 said.

"Both ya'll shut up!" Wrath snapped. "Sam  _always_  has a back up plan; we ain't done yet." He told them. "Damn there's a lot of 'em." He said as he scanned the area with his telepathy.  _"Forge, I need an air-strike. On my order, cut those RIGHT bastards in half!"_ _H_ e ordered. "X…get these civilians to the bunker and dig in till me and Boomer can help clear out these sentinels." He said. He didn't want to leave X-23 alone, but these sentinels had seriously compromised the mission and he needed all the firepower he could get, so he needed Boomer. This was Cannonball’s backup plan, but it fell to Wrath to execute it and he prayed he was making the right decision in sending X-23 to the bunker.

"We do not have another choice Wrath; I will protect them." She said, sensing the guilt and turmoil he was feeling about leaving her alone. They weren't supposed to separate, but the mission had become desperate and there was no other way. She could easily handle the agents in that bunker and once it was clear, it should be easy to protect the others.

"Boomer, make us a door, quietly." He said as she blasted a hole through the wall to avoid the armored soldiers waiting on them at the main entrance.  _'We're coming Sam…I'm gonna' puppet string one of those guys and make him attack Hodge and the others while Boomer hits the sentinels.'_  He said as they made their way outside.

' _Hurry up Mike! It's getting ugly out here!'_  Sam answered. He was losing control of the situation and they’d all be going home in body bags if he didn’t turn things around quickly. Clearly Hodge had suspected something, but it seemed they'd still managed to catch him off guard.

"Laura, call fer back up if ya need it. I don't want t' bury another friend." Wrath said as they parted ways.

"You're bleeding." Boomer said as she and Wrath headed back toward the battle. He'd used his armor to shield the children from the gunfire, but it hadn't stopped all the rounds. The big guns on the armored suits were loaded with Beowulf rounds, used during the war to pierce the Infinity soldiers' armor. Fortunately, he'd been quick enough to avoid serious injury and he'd been trained to ignore pain.

"I can take it." He told her. Boomer hated guys who tried to act tough, but she knew Wrath's only concern was for his teammates so she let it go.

"What are we gonna do about Hodge?" Boomer asked. "He's like a one man army now, he beat most of the X-Men when he attacked us the first time." She told him.

"I know, Sam told me about it." Wrath answered. "We've got t' regroup with th' others and attack him together; he's got psi-shields and I'm not strong enough to break 'em." He said.

"I can help." Xi’an said as she joined them. "I nearly had him when he attacked me after I escaped." She said.

"What th' hell are ya doin' here?!" Wrath hissed. "Get yer ass back with th' others! I'm not gonna be responsible fer you gettin killed!" He told her.

"You need my help!" She said. "I'm a telepath too! Together we can take Hodge!" she told him.

"Yer're a civilian! Ya don't know how t' fight! You'll be in my way!" Wrath snapped.

"My parents were murdered and I had to save Nga and Leong myself! I know how to survive!" She yelled.

"Take care of yer brother and sister damn it!" Wrath yelled.

"I  _ **am**_!" She snapped. "You guys don't know what you're dealing with! He's a monster and he'll kill all of us!" she told him.

"I was an Avenger and she helped kill Apocalypse!  _ **We**_  know what  ** _we're_**  doin'! Now get back!" Wrath roared.

"NO!" She yelled. "I'm fighting for my family and you'll have to shoot me to stop me!" She said defiantly.

"X-23…Xi’an's coming with us." Boomer said as Wrath finally relented.

**The Battle**

"Damnable fool!" Cameron Hodge shrieked as he snatched the base commander up in his cybernetic tentacles. "I told you to be ready for them!" He yelled as he began to choke him.

"They're more powerful than you said they'd be sir…and that big one's got a mini-gun…." He wheezed.

"I'll suffer your incompetence no longer!" Hodge hissed as he broke his neck and hurled his body to the ground. "I'll handle this myself!" He yelled as he assumed command of the battle. Most of his soldiers were either trapped or killed by the malfunctioning defense system and Siryn and Warpath had already taken out ten armored soldiers along with several sentinels. Still, he was confident he could capture them with his remaining men and the Nimrod prototypes Bolivar Trask had provided and if that failed, he'd kill them himself and reclaim the prisoners.

' _That is one_ _ **ugly**_ _bastard.'_  Wrath thought as he saw Cameron Hodge for the first time. He had a huge mechanical body with four insect-like legs, two arms tipped with metal tentacles and he even had a tail. He was armed to the teeth with a rocket launcher and several different guns as well as sharp bards on the end of each leg.  _'You ready Shan?'_  He asked as she nodded.  _'Stay hidden and be ready when I tell you.'_  He ordered.

" _Forge! Light 'em up!"_  He yelled as he and Xi’an seized control of two armored soldiers and forced them to open fire on their comrades and Hodge. The RIGHT stopped attacking the building the assault team had taken refuge in and turned to face the new threat. Above them the PACRAT de-cloaked and opened fire with its plasma cannons, tearing most of the armored soldiers to pieces and destroying the remaining Mark I Sentinels. Hodge managed to escape the strafing with only minor damage and he immediately fired several missiles at the PACRAT as it passed. Forge jammed the throttle and fired off flares, narrowly escaping being shot down.

"Forge! Get out of here!" Cannonball ordered. "Wrath, take care of th' soldiers! Th' rest of ya'll on me, take out th' sentinels!" He ordered as he blasted through the wall and slammed straight through the chest of one of the menacing Nimrod prototypes. The evil machines were ten feet tall and dark gray, resembling an evil Ironman with wings, blazing red eyes and power cores. They weren't nearly as durable as the future version, but they were all linked and could adapt to different mutant powers to a degree.

Hodge leaped into the fray, lashing at Siryn with his tentacles and striking Warpath, disabling his gun. Meanwhile Wrath, still in control of an armored soldier, leaped and grabbed hold of another, emptying the magazine of his assault rifle into his chest, splattering blood, oil and hydraulic fluid everywhere. The remaining soldiers began to retreat under the relentless onslaught of Wrath and Xi’an and the tide began to turn for X-Force.

"Boomer! Get down!" Wolfsbane screamed as she leaped and smashed the sentinels head as it took aim at her friend. Boomer had taken out four of them, but they'd begun to adapt their armor to better withstand her bombs and she was running out of energy. Wolfsbane savagely tore the robot apart and saved her friend from being burned to death.

"What th’ hell are you doin’ Wrath?!" Cannonball yelled as Wrath drew his sword leaped onto the back of one of the Nimrod units. He’d run out of ammunition and grenades and his blade was his last chance to stop the machine from killing his teammates.  He was reliving the nightmare of Hammer Bay all over again and he was desperate to save his team.

 _“Whatever it takes!” Wrath yelled as he rammed his sword into the Nimrod’s neck, severing its main power cable and paralyzing it._   “Shit!” he cursed as he broke half the blade off in the robot.  The Nimrod units were outlawed and they were all supposed to have been scrapped. He couldn’t believe SHIELD had missed these or that Trask was actually crazy enough to reactivate them after Genosha.

"Bloody hell! It didnae even make a dent!" Wolfsbane exclaimed as Boomer blasted Hodge with her most powerful bomb as he came at them. Hodge's cyborg body had been upgraded with a shield generator and he could block most energy based attacks and projectiles. Fortunately, he hadn't counted on Siryn's incredible power and her devastating scream severely damaged him, causing several systems to reboot.

"Shan! Now!" Wrath yelled as he leaped on Hodge's back, taking advantage of the shield being knocked out. Boomer's powers weren't limitless and she still needed time to recover from all the fighting. Wrath and Xi’an's combined efforts broke through Hodge's psi-shields and she forced him to the ground as Wrath hacked open the panel on his back with is broken sword and tore out the circuitry controlling the shield generator.

"Why are you doing this?!" Hodge screamed in fear and anger. "You're a human! You're one of us! Why are you helping these filthy mutants?!"

"Shut yer damn mouth! I'm nothin' like you!" Wrath yelled as he disabled Hodge's rocket launcher. "Screw this! I'll just cut yer head off!" Wrath snarled as he leaped onto his neck.

"I think not!" Hodge yelled as he finally overpowered Xi’an and broke free of their possession. "Now die!" He yelled as he lashed out at Wrath with one of his spiked legs, piercing his armor and impaling him through the forearm as he tried to block. He slammed Wrath into the side of the building, flattened Boomer with is tail and blasted Warpath with his energy cannons. Cannonball and Siryn were still busy with the last sentinel and couldn't stop him as he leaped onto Xi’an and impaled her left leg with the vicious barbs on his legs as she screamed in agony.

"I only wish I could make this last longer you disgusting mutant bitch." He hissed as he prepared to finish her. "When I'm done with your brother and sister they'll…." He never got the chance to finish as Cannonball slammed into him, knocking him away from her.

"Hold still!" Wolfsbane ordered as she came to Xi’an's aid. She was horribly injured and bleeding profusely, but she was still conscious and Wolfsbane knew what to do. She ripped off Xi’an's belt and used it for a tourniquet, clinching down with her super strength and stopping the bleeding as Xi’an screamed in pain. "This is  _really_ goin' tae hurt." She warned as she clamped off the severed blood vessels. Xi’an cried out in agony, the pain was so intense she passed out, but Wolfsbane saved her life. "Here, this will help." Wolfsbane said as she gave her a little pain-killer. "Ah'm sorry, yer're in shock and Ah cannae give ye anymore." She said as she quickly dragged Xi’an behind cover as she regained consciousness.

"How are you still alive?!" Hodge yelled as Warpath and Wrath rejoined the battle.

"Your aim sucks!" Warpath snapped.

"Do you really think  _this_  is the worst thing that's ever happened t' me?!" Wrath sneered as he injected emergency cauterizing foam into his wounds, stopping the bleeding. Hodge's bard had gone clear through, shredding flesh, shattering bone and leaving him a bloody mess, but he wasn't about to back down. It hurt like hell, but the foam would keep him from bleeding out so he could still fight even with only one arm.

"I'll kill you!" Hodge hissed as he quickly lashed out with his electrified tentacles and immobilized Siryn and Warpath.

"Eat this!" Boomer yelled as she hurled more of her bombs at him.

"Filthy little brat!" Hodge shrieked. "I'll tear you apart!" He yelled as he unleashed more tentacles at Boomer, only to have them chopped in half by Wrath.

"Damn you!" Hodge yelled as he whirled and slammed one of his legs into Wrath, knocking him away as Cannonball blasted at him, trying to free Warpath and Siryn. He knew Siryn could pulverize him in his weakened condition, but he was still a match for all of them.

 _'Wrath! Get on your feet! You and Boomer have to distract him long enough for me to dive bomb him!'_  Cannonball ordered as he prepared to blast off.

Wolfsbane unleashed a blood-chilling howl and plowed into Hodge like a freight train, knocking him off his feet and sending him crashing into the dirt. Seeing them all being brutalized like that was just too much for her and she'd unleashed the full fury of her mutation. She was 8'0" 750lbs of pure fury and superhuman strength, hell-bent on destroying Hodge. He had no time to recover or react as she attacked, ripping off one of his legs and tearing into his armor with her claws.

"No! Get off me you freak!" He screamed as she leaped onto his back. He struck at her with his tail, but she tore it off and smashed him to the ground with it. She ripped off another leg as he stabbed at her and grabbed his head in her claws as he continued to struggle against her.

"NO!" he screamed as she wrenched his head sideways, severing most of his neural connections and causing his body to collapse. She ripped his head off as she stood up and then hurled it into the dirt at her feet.

"Rahne, he can't hurt us anymore. I need ya need t' calm down." Cannonball said gently, trying to calm her. She couldn't control herself when she was like this and she was just as likely to attack them as Hodge. Donald Pierce had kidnapped Rahne and Roberto years earlier and experimented with their powers, causing them to drastically increase. Poor Rahne had turned into an animal and attacked everyone until Moira and Spiderman had helped her regain control. Rahne was strong, but even she had her limits and she'd reached them today. Wrath reached out to her, but she snapped at him and growled viciously.

"Rahne, it's me." Boomer said as she approached her feral friend. Wolfsbane growled at her and backed away as she fought to restrain her feral instincts. "Please don't do this, remember who you are and what you mean to me." She cried as her eyes filled with tears.

"Remember what you mean to all of us." Wrath said as he linked her mind to all of theirs, letting her feel their love for her. Wolfsbane shrank back to her natural form and began to cry she was so frightened and ashamed of what she'd done. She felt like a monster and she was horrified that she'd snapped at them like that.

"Ah'm so sorry." She sobbed. "Ah'm a monster,”

"Yer're not a monster, yer're our little sister and we love ye." Siryn said as she and Boomer held her in their arms. Wrath came to comfort her as well; he'd snapped in battle before and he didn't hold it against her. He hated the fact that he hadn't been strong enough to subdue Hodge earlier; that she'd been forced to resort to this to save them.

"Ah've got tae get back tae Shan." Wolfsbane said as she regained her composure.

"Damn it Mike, what th’ hell?" Cannonball asked as they came to Xi’an's aid. She was pale from the loss of blood and the pain of her injuries and they needed to get her back to the school immediately if they were going to have any chance of saving her leg. It looked like a lost cause, it was mutilated and the clamps sticking out of the wounds were a disturbing sight even for them. Wolfsbane tried to loosen the tourniquet a little, but she started bleeding immediately so she had to tighten it again.

"Leave him alone; you needed my help." Xi’an said weakly. "Both of us together could barely hold him down long enough to take out his shields." She gasped.

"We'll talk about it later Mike; right now we need to get these people out of here." Sam said. "Where's Laura?"

"In th' bunker with th' civilians." Mike said. He felt horrible and he'd never forgive himself for what had happened to Xi’an. Sam felt horrible as well, he'd done an excellent job of planning despite the short notice, but the last thing he'd expected was sentinels. Trask Industries was a legitimate cybernetics company with numerous government contracts and the last thing anyone expected was for them to aid known terrorists like RIGHT. It made no sense to sell arms to these fanatics when there was more money to be made from doing business legally. As awful and costly as this battle had been, it just might be the one that finally shut Trask down once their involvement with RIGHT became public knowledge. Still, that was no comfort to any of them as Xian cried out in pain again.

"Forge, we need evac, we've got wounded." Sam said as he saw the PACRAT de-cloak in the distance and begin flying toward them.

"She's not answering!" Theresa said, as everyone became alarmed. Everyone but Rahne ran for the bunker and Mike immediately began searching for her with his telepathy. He hadn't wanted to leave her alone and he was terrified that something had happened to her.

"Rahne!" Mike screamed as he came upon the horrific sight. Laura was lying in front of a wrecked sentinel, burned beyond recognition; barely alive and in unbearable pain. She'd taken out two of the Nimrod prototypes by herself, but she'd paid the price for her bravery and given her life to save the civilians. The second sentinel had analyzed her powers as she fought off the first one and it had used a flamethrower on her to overwhelm her healing factor. She was burned over 99% of her body; even her lungs and throat were burned and her injuries had overwhelmed her healing factor. Anyone else would have already died and her powers were only prolonging her suffering. She might have survived if she was an adult, but her powers weren't fully mature yet like Wolverine's and she was dying.

"Kids…safe?" She choked out as Mike raised his mask and knelt down beside her, taking her hand in his. Laura's lungs had nearly given out and her eyelids had been burned away; she was blind and dying in agony, but she was still thinking about the children.

"Yeah, they're fine, you saved 'em." He told her as he fought to control his emotions.  _'God…I know people say she's just a clone and she's not real, but I know what I feel in her right now and I know she has a soul. She can't ask for salvation, she doesn't know how…so I'm asking for her. It's not her fault, she never had a choice, she never had a chance. Take her away from all this; she's had to pay for other people's sins long enough.'_  He prayed as he tried to comfort her. He hoped Rahne had enough painkiller left to make her final moments bearable; there was no hope for her and he couldn't stand to see her suffering like this. He tried to enter her mind to turn off the pain receptors in her brain, but her suffering was so severe that he couldn’t focus for all the physical pain and mental anguish she was feeling.

Tabitha and Theresa were both tough and they didn't often give in to emotion on missions, but neither could hold back their tears as the awful realization that Laura was dying hit them. Her life had been nothing but misery and pain and even though she'd died so these children could live; it didn't make her loss any more bearable for them. Even Mike and James were visibly affected, as was Rahne as she dropped to her knees beside Laura weeping bitterly.

' _Tell me I'm wrong and there's something you can do for her.'_  Mike said as he entered Rahne's mind.

' _No, there's not enough time.'_  Rahne said as she pulled her last vial of painkiller out of her kit. The Shiar medical equipment at the institute  _might_  be able to heal her, but they were too far away; she would never survive the flight home. Her injuries were so severe that she didn't think even Josh would be able to save her.

' _That's all you have?'_  Mike asked.

' _It's not enough.'_  Rahne told him.  _'But it's all I can do for her; it won't hurt as much.'_  She said as she gave Laura the injection.

"Laura, I know ya still got doubts about yerself, but ya proved who ya really are today, yer're not a weapon, yer're a hero." Mike said as he wiped his eyes. He was devastated by Laura's loss and he made no effort to hide it. He couldn't do anything to ease her pain and it was unbearable for him to see her suffering and not be able to help her.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." Rahne said, quoting John 15:13 to Laura. "Dinnae be afraid Laura, ye'll be wit' God today." Rahne told her as she held her hand and began to pray for her.

"I'm sorry Laura." James said as he, Theresa and Tabitha knelt down with the others beside her. When Illyana had died he'd made a vow that he wouldn't let anyone else die, he'd protect them no matter what, but he'd failed. As strong as he was and as hard as he'd fought, he hadn't been able to save Laura and even though he was trying not to show it, he was just as upset as the others.

"I'm not loosing anyone else." Sam said as watched Laura fight for her life with every agonized breath. He was out of options and he'd be damned if he was just going to give up and watch Laura die like this. James looked up as Sam activated a small homing beacon.

**Next Issues: The fate of X-23 is revealed and a new plot is uncovered!**


	5. Dreams End - Part I

Disclaimer: Marvel owns (and has ruined) everything here except Wrath.

A/N: An alternate version of the X-Men and X-Force from Earth 730.

Apocalypse has been defeated, but the Millennium War has cost the X-Men dearly.  With the Xavier Institute reduced to ashes and only two surviving psychics, the X-Men have been forced to relocate to the X-Force base in Dallas Texas. Headmistress Storm is preparing to open a new school for young mutants in the hope of salvaging Xavier’s dream and uniting the teams, but the growing conflict between Cannonball’s X-Force and Cyclops’ X-Men has put the future in jeopardy.

**Previously**

The peace of the previous day was shattered as Mike and Monet began what promises to be an epic feud; much to the displeasure of Sam and Theresa who are trying to keep the peace with the X-Men. Meanwhile, Danielle's anger and resentment toward baseline humans and Tabitha threatened her friendship with Rahne. X-Force couldn't even finish a meal together before Danielle, Tabitha, Rahne and Mike were all embroiled in conflict. Sam and Theresa quickly put an end to the fighting, but the damage was done. Rahne was very upset by the confrontation and tried to pray about her situation, but her quiet moment was interrupted by another of Josh Foley's unwanted romantic advances.

X-Force began training for a dangerous mission against the anti-mutant terrorist group, RIGHT, led by the deranged cyborg, Cameron Hodge. Unfortunately, their carefully made plans unraveled when it was revealed RIGHT was much further along in their plan than the team realized. With young mutants lives at stake the team had no choice but to go in immediately, trusting their expert training and their secret member Cypher to bring them victory. Sam and Theresa led most of X-Force to attack Hodge while Mike, Tabitha and Laura (X-23) rescued the captives before Hodge could test the rebuilt Genengineering lab on them. The assault team was surprised by prototype Nimrod sentinels, but one of the captives, Xi’an Coy Mahn, helped turn the tide of battle. Xian was seriously injured by Hodge and Rahne had to finish him off by unleashing her ultimate werewolf form; nearly losing control in the process.

X-Force found the captives unharmed, but Laura had been horribly burned by the last of the Nimrod sentinels. Her injuries overwhelmed her healing factor and there was nothing Rahne could do to save her. Mike held himself responsible for both Xian and Laura and he was deeply affected. Sam always has a plan, but it seems that even he is out of options…or is he?

This Issue:

X-Force: Sam Guthrie-Cannonball, Tabitha Smith-Boomer, Rahne MacTaggart-Wolfsbane, Theresa Cassidy-Siryn, James Proudstar-Warpath, Michael Holmes-Wrath, Doug Ramsey-Cypher

X-Men: James Howlett-Wolverine, Hank-McCoy-Beast, Scott Summers-Cyclops, Emma Frost, Dr. Cecelia Reyes, Ororo Munro-Storm, James Bradley-Dr. Nemesis, Jonathan Silvercloud-Forge

Students: Laura Kenny-X-23, Cessily Kincaid-Mercury, Josh Foley-Elixir, David Alleyne-Prodigy, Nicolas Gleeson, Mark Sheppard, Callie Beto, Santos Vaccaro-Rockslide, Julian Keller-Hellion, Noriko Ashida-Surge, Megan Gwynn-Pixie, Brain Cruz-Tag, Sophie, Phoebe & Celeste Frost

Faculty Members: Xi’an Coy Mahn, Sharon Friedlander, Annie Ghazikhanian Danielle Moonstar-Mirage

**X-Men - Guardians # 5: Dreams End – Part I**

**RIGHT Genetics Facility**

"I'm not loosing anyone else." Sam said as watched Laura fight for her life with every agonized breath. He was out of options, but he'd be damned if he was just going to give up and watch Laura die like this. James looked up as Sam activated a small homing beacon.

"Sam?" James asked as he saw him activate the beacon.

"No choice Jimmy; ya'll aren't expendable." Sam said. The others were startled by a roar and a blinding flash of pink light. Everyone but Sam was shocked to see their six armed, silver-haired nemesis Spiral standing before them. Spiral had briefly aided them in their battle against Apocalypse, but as always, she had ulterior motives and none of them trusted her. She'd also clashed with Mike during his time with the Avengers and both were shocked to see each other again.

"I knew you'd reconsider  _Cannonballs_." Spiral said provocatively as she continued to glare at Mike.

"What the hell are you doing here you skeevy tramp?!" Tabitha demanded. Spiral gave her a disdainful look and flipped her off with all six hands. Tabitha had gotten the better of her in their last battle and she'd take any opportunity to infuriate or humiliate her.

"Why do waste your time with this little brat?" Spiral asked as she approached Sam. "Imagine what  _ **I**_ could do for you."

"Do I look like I'm in th' mood fer yer bullshit?!" Sam yelled. "I need ya t' teleport Laura and Xi’an to th' institute…what do ya want t' do it?!" He asked.

"Your loss." Spiral sighed. "I don't have any jobs lined up at the moment, but I'm sure I can think of something."

"This can't be happening." Tabitha exclaimed in disbelief.

"What choice do you have Boom-Boom?" Spiral asked. "Your little friends char-broiled and I'm her only hope." She sneered looking at Laura. Tabitha was so angry she wanted to blast her to ashes, but Laura and Xi’an's lives were too important and she held back.

"Stop wasting time!" James yelled at her. Laura was choking to death right there in front of him and he couldn't stand it. He knew how hateful and cruel Spiral could be and he was sick at the thought of Sam being in her debt.

"You know what Sam? I don't think I want anything from you after all." Spiral said. She could see how desperate they were to save Laura and she knew she could get exactly what she wanted from him if she kept being cruel. She might be able to get the whole team to go on a mission for her if she played this right.

"Think you can teleport faster than I can put lead in yer ass ya squid-armed witch?!" Mike growled as his mask snapped back into place and he pointed his pistol at her. "You don't want anything from him?! Well, I  _know_  ya want  _somethin'_  from me." He said as he cocked the hammer. Spiral hadn't expected this, but she decided to take Mike's bargain. He didn't seem entirely stable now and she knew she could manipulate  _him_  more easily than the whole team.

"Mike! SHUT UP!" Sam ordered. He didn't want anyone else involved with Spiral and Mike was ruining his plan. Mike was smart and resourceful, but Spiral was devious and he might really be in over his head now.

"We've got a deal." Spiral said coldly. "And if you don't honor it, I'll…"

"If they don't make it, neither will you." Mike interrupted. "Get movin'." He ordered. He hated Spiral and he was sick of her ridiculous posturing; she had what she wanted and Laura didn't have any time left. He wasn't going to let Sam pay for his mistakes and put himself in her power. He'd lost his best friend in the war, he felt responsible for Xian and Laura and there was no way he was going to lose Sam too.

"Pick her up fleabag, I don't want to smell like burned bacon the rest of the day." Spiral scoffed as Rahne picked up Laura as gently as she could and carried her to Xian's side so Spiral could teleport them all to the school.

"You better be ready when I come to collect." Spiral said as she gave Mike a menacing look and vanished in a flash of pink light.

"Damn it Mike! What th' hell was that?!" Sam yelled. "I had a plan damn it!"

 **"I'M NOT LOSIN' YOU TOO SAM!"**  Mike yelled back, getting visibly agitated.

"Michael, I know ye feel responsible fer Laura, but ye didn't bring her on the mission and none of us could have planned fer the sentinels." Theresa said calmly. "She's got a chance now; Josh is a Class 5 healer, he can save her." She told him. Mike's PTSD had gone untreated for too long and seeing Xi’an and Laura suffering like that had pushed him over the edge. She'd seen this too many times, soldiers pushed beyond their limits, forced to endure horrors no one should ever have to see, forced make impossible choices and then cast aside when they finally broke and couldn't take it anymore.

"Holmes!" Sam yelled, getting right in his face. "We don't have time fer a pity party! Pull yerself together soldier! This thing ain't over and I need ya dialed in! Do you get me?!" He barked. Mike's demeanor instantly changed and while it was obvious he was still angry and hurt, he  _did_ seem much more focused again.

"I get you." Mike said coldly. He was a professional soldier who kept his head in battle and Sam had never seen him give in so completely to his emotions that he acted without thinking. He felt guilty that he hadn't recognized just how broken Mike was before now. He realized Mike never had time to deal with the loss of his best friend or all he'd been through and he hated himself for yelling at him and being so heartless. Still, he couldn't have him going to pieces on a mission so he'd dealt with it the only way he could.

"Good." Sam said as he handed Mike back his assault rifle. "Now you and Jimmy grab all th' weapons and ammo ya can and get back to th' RAT; Cypher says we got SHIELD inbound ETA twenty minutes." He ordered.

"Fashionably late as usual." Tabitha said sarcastically.

"You and Terry grab those kids and get 'em secure while me and Forge get Hodge; he's not gettin' away again." He told her as Forge joined them. Mike and James headed for the armory as Tabitha and Theresa blasted open the door to the bunker and led the children to safety of the PACRAT. Sam and Forge went after Hodge while Cypher finished cleaning out all of RIGHT's bank accounts. Hodge had accumulated millions of dollars for his war against the mutant race, but now all his dirty money would go toward paying X-Force, maintaining the PACRAT and their other equipment and helping the kids and their families if they had any. Sam made sure X-Force wasn’t a financial burden on Forge or his company; they financed most of their operations with the money they stole from their enemies.

**Outside the Command Center**

"How's that deal with the devil working out for you Cameron?" Forge asked as he and Sam walked up to the smoking ruin of Hodge's mechanized body. He'd sold his soul to the demon N'astirh for immortality in an attempt to take revenge on the X-Men after the fall of Genosha. He'd kidnapped Angel to lure the others, but his evil plan was undone by the newest member of the team, Psylocke. She freed the others and Hodge discovered too late that while the demon had granted him immortality, he was far from indestructible. Psylocke decapitated him to save Angel, but he survived thanks to the demon's unholy magic and though his mind had become unhinged from the trauma, he was still a formidable foe. He'd returned in a surprise attack on the institute several years ago, nearly killing the New Mutants and many of the X-Men. Fortunately, Theresa and Sam were able to free the others and stop Hodge, but not before he'd hurt Rahne, and severely injured Forge who was trying to protect her. Hodge had escaped, but now his reign of terror was at an end, Sam and Forge were going to make sure of it.

"Go to hell you mutant trash!" Hodge shrieked, glaring up at them from down in the dirt where Rahne had thrown him. His smug superiority was gone, all his plans for revenge were utterly destroyed and even the sentinels had failed to bring him victory against his hated enemies. He was completely helpless thanks to Rahne and despite his immortality, he was terrified.

"Ah hope that things sound proof." Sam said as he snatched Hodge up by his neural connections and dropped him into the stasis capsule Forge was carrying.

"Once it's activated he won't be able to talk." Forge told him. "We can keep him in suspended animation forever if we have too; he won't be conscious." He explained.

"Better than he deserves." Sam said, thinking about what would have happened to those kids if the team hadn't arrived in time. He and the other New Mutants were only children when the X-Men freed the mutants of Genosha, but he knew about all the horrible experiments the government had done to turn the mutants into living weapons with no regard for their own lives. Hodge was about to unleash that same nightmare on these innocent children and he didn't deserve mercy.

"You can't do this to me!" Hodge yelled.

"Shut up before I fergit I'm better than you!" Sam snapped as he slammed the lid of the container shut on him. "Make sure ya hide that; I don't want him scaring th' kids anymore." Sam said as he and Forge started back toward the PACRAT. They'd already seen too much evil and he didn't want them exposed to satanic magic as well.

"I didn't think Larry Trask would go this far. His father maybe, but this…this is insane." Forge said as they walked past the mangled assault suits, wrecked sentinels and dead RIGHT agents.

"Me neither, but they're not getting away with it, not this time." Sam said. Bolivar Trask wanted mutants exterminated, but Larry, who had replaced his father as head of Trask Industries, was focused on the business. Trask Industries was the worlds leading robotics manufacturer for both military and medical applications. They were the world leader in cybernetic limbs and in the wake of the Genoshan Purge Larry was eager to focus on the good the company had done. The sentinel program had been put on hold after the purge, but it had been reactivated during the war, albeit with restrictions. Larry had no love for mutants either and while he was focused on protecting humans from mutant supremacists like Magneto, he recognized the danger posed by the Nimrod artificial intelligence.

"SHIELD will have to step in after this." Forge told him.

"We can’t wait on them." Sam said darkly.

"Sam, your team…"

"They can take it Forge." Sam said bluntly. "Too many people have died; we have to end this now." He said.

"It  _never_  ends Sam." Forge said.

"Do ya think I don't know that?!" Sam yelled. "Do ya think I wanna throw Mike back in th' meat grinder after what he's been through?!" He yelled again. "I just saw ma little sister turn into an animal! Tabby still has nightmares and wakes me up cryin'! Terry and Jimmy are screwed up fer life and I probably just killed Laura!" He said. "I've never believed in that "ends justifies th' means" bullshit that Cable preached; but those things are already responsible fer two wars and a genocide and  _we_ _might be th’ only ones who can_ stop them. I'm doin' th' best I can fer 'em Forge, but right now we don't have a choice." Sam told him as they walked up the ramp of the PACRAT.

**The PACRAT**

"Put him down here." Theresa told Nicholas as he laid Mark down on the collapsible stretcher they kept in the PACRAT's medical station. The young wolf mutant curled up against the wall next to Mark's stretcher with a blank stare on his furry face. He was trying to process everything that had just happened to him, but he was only thirteen and he was so shaken he didn't know what to do. He'd been kidnapped, beaten and caged like an animal; then he'd been rescued by two of the most terrifying people he'd ever seen and subjected to unspeakable violence as they fought to save him. He'd just seen a girl, barely older than himself, burned alive screaming in pain and it was just too much for him. He didn't know who X-Force was and he didn't know who was going to take care of him now, or where he was going to live. He fought back against his animal instincts; the urge to run was almost overpowering, but he was an orphan and he had nowhere else to go.

"Where did he learn first aid? Butcher school?" Theresa asked as she changed the field dressing on Mark's wound. She'd been shot before; she knew how bad it hurt and she wished Rahne was there to take care of him.

"He was kind of in a hurry." Mark said bluntly. He was older and better able to deal with what had just happened to him, but he was still on edge and he didn't realize Theresa was joking.

"Wha's yer name?" Theresa asked, changing the subject. She hadn't really meant anything by what she'd said; X-Force often teased each other to lighten the mood and relieve stress and none of them took it seriously. Mark was sixteen and he'd never really had a father figure in his life, so naturally he saw a man like Mike as a role model.

"Mark Sheppard, and that's Nick Gleason." He said, nodding toward the still trembling werewolf next to him. "Madelyn and Haley are sisters. They've got some kind of earth power, but they're too young to  _really_  use it." He explained, pointing to the two little blonde girls with Tabitha. "Those two are Nga and Leong; I don't think they have powers yet." He said. They were only twelve so it was natural; Theresa was really surprised that Madelyn and Haley had powers already; they couldn't be more than eight or nine.

“What’s yer name?” She asked, turning to Callie.  She was fifteen, very tall and very pretty, with long, light brown hair, green eyes and a darker skin tone like Laura. Her pointed ears were the only outward sign of her mutation, but she kept them covered with her hair.

"Why are we even talking about this?!" Callie snapped. "That girls dead because of us!" She said as her voice broke and her eyes filled with tears. Callie couldn't be strong any longer and broke down crying as Theresa wrapped her in a blanket and sat down next to her. Mark was sick over what had happened to Laura as well and he wished he'd been able to save her, but his powers only worked if he was listening to music. She was the bravest person he'd ever met and she didn't deserve to die so horribly, but he'd never forget what she'd done for him.

"Laura's not dead." Theresa said as she let Callie cry on her shoulder. "Mike made a deal to get her back to the school. We've got the best equipment and a healer there; she's going to make it." She said, praying that was true.

"Who?" Callie asked, between sobs. "Do you mean Wrath?"

"Yeah, I know he probably seems like a monster Callie, but he's really a nice guy under all that armor." Tabitha told her. Callie had grown up in a stable, loving home and she'd never been exposed to violence, but she wasn't scared of Mike or Laura; they'd saved her and she knew they had to be good people.

"His real name is Michael, I'm Theresa and that's Tabitha." She said, pointing to the beautiful blonde sitting with the youngsters. "James is the big guy with the war paint and Sam is our leader. Rahne was the werewolf ye might have seen; she's our medic so she had to go with Laura."

“I’m Callie.” She sniffed as Theresa continued to hold her.  She was really shaken up and Theresa felt terrible for her.

"What happened to my sister?" Leong asked. He was trying to be brave for Nga, but he was worried sick about Xi’an and he wished she hadn't gone to fight Hodge again. She'd tried to escape and free the others two days earlier, but he'd defeated her and the guards had given her an awful beating in front of them.

"She's got hurt fighting the bad guys with us." Tabitha said as she sat beside Leong and Nga. "We sent her to th' doctor with our friend Laura." She told them. "She's going to be ok." She added reassuringly as she continued to comfort them. The twelve year old twins were remarkably calm given all they'd just been through and it was obvious they'd seen a lot of hardship in their short lives. Tabitha couldn't get Xi’an's words about her parents being murdered out of her mind and she prayed with the twins for her recovery; she was all they had left in the world.

She turned her attention back to Madelyn and Haley; they were younger than the twins, but they seemed to have bonded with them after their horrible ordeal and Tabitha was glad they had each other. They were all frightened and unsure of what to expect at the school, just as she'd been when she arrived at Xavier’s, but they'd help each other just like Rahne and Theresa helped her.

"Are we going to be flying long?" Madelyn asked Tabitha. "We get sick if we're away from the ground for too long; it's our powers."

"Just for an hour." Tabitha told her. "We’re taking you guys to the Jean Grey School, you’ll be safe there.” She said, trying to make them feel better. _'That "earth power" of theirs must be pretty intense if they have to always be in contact with the ground.'_  She thought as she looked them over. They were pretty little blonde girls with blue eyes like hers, but like her, there was nothing out of the ordinary about their appearance.  _'Kids this age shouldn't be developing powers; I hope there's nothing wrong with them.'_  She thought. She was a lot smarter than most people gave her credit for, but she knew next to nothing about genetics and she decided it wouldn't help to worry until Dr. McCoy checked them out.

"Can we live at the school with you?" Haley asked.

"What about your parents?" Tabitha asked.

"They’re dead and our foster parents hate us ." She said as she began to cry and Tabitha took her in her arms. She knew exactly how the poor little girl felt and she was grateful that they had a place to go so they wouldn't suffer the way she and Rahne had.

"You can live with us." She told her as she fought back her own tears. "Nobody's gonna hurt ya'll again."

"You guys don’t look like the X-Men I’ve seen on TV." Mark said to Theresa, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his leg.  They were all dressed in black and gray armor rather than colorful costumes and no one had the familiar black and red X on their uniforms.  He remembered that Wrath said they were "X-Force" but he didn't understand the difference.  He hadn’t been a mutant very long and he’d never paid much attention to current events anyway.

"That’s because we're  ** _X-Force_**." Tabitha said emphatically. "You'd still be in there if we were X-Men.  ** _We_** go looking for trouble and then we blow it to hell when we find it." She said. Mark didn't really know what to say, but it was clear he'd struck a nerve so he decided it was better to say nothing. Tabitha's sadness had quickly turned to anger as she held Haley in her arms. The X-Men seemed to have forgotten about Hodge, but he clearly hadn't forgotten about them and she didn't want to think what would have happened to these kids if  _they_  hadn't been keeping track of RIGHT.

"We're on the same side, we just don't agree on when we should get involved in a fight." Theresa explained. "We're taking ye back to the Jean Grey School; ye'll be safe there." She told them. "Ye'll have lots of friends; we've taken in a lot of mutants yer age and the schools going public in the fall."

"Will we have to learn to fight?" Callie asked, drying her eyes.

"Ye'll have to learn to control yer powers and how to protect yerself, but no one is going to ask ye to fight if ye don't want to." Theresa told her. "Ye deserve to be able to choose yer own path in life and the school wasn't built to train super hero's; it was built so we could learn to help people." She said as she brushed the hair out of Callie's eyes as she managed a weak smile and hugged her.

"I wanna learn to fight." Nicholas said darkly. "Next time those stinking flat scans come for me, I'll be ready."

"Mikes a baseline." Theresa told him. "They're not all like that Nick and if ye think that way then yer're not any better than RIGHT." She said as Nicholas looked at her in stunned disbelief.

"But, how did he…"

"He's a peak human, not a mutant." She interrupted. "Ye just remember wha' he did fer ye the next time ye start to feel that way; that goes fer all of ye." She said as Mike and James dragged several large containers loaded with weapons and ammunition up the ramp and the PACRAT's engines roared to life.

**Jean Grey School**

**Medical** **Bay** **-Trauma Room One**

"Prep the healing pod and get Josh in here now!" Hank ordered as David began to prep the Shiar healing pods and Rahne laid Laura on the operating table. He'd never seen anyone so badly injured still clinging to life and he was determined to save her no matter how hopeless it seemed. There was a slim chance she would pull through if they could find some intact skin to regenerate and Josh could heal her lungs and airway. Dr. Nemesis and Rahne quickly cut away what little remained of her uniform as Dr. Reyes, Sharon and Annie worked to stabilize Xi’an.

"Thank ye God!" Rahne exclaimed as she removed Laura's scorched boots and found a small patch of unburned flesh on the bottom of her right foot. "Keep fightin' Laura!" she said as she and Dr. Nemesis worked to save her. Laura had a chance now, but only a very slim one; she'd lost a lot of fluids from having almost all her skin burned away and her vitals were crashing.

Across the room, Dr. Cecelia Reyes was prepping Xi’an for surgery; she'd taken one look at the scans and knew it was impossible to save her leg. Born to Cuban refugees in one of New York's worst neighborhoods, she'd worked hard to overcome her humble beginnings and become one of the best trauma surgeons in the country. She'd come to respect both the X-Men and the X-Force during the war and she’d joined them since she’d lost everything when New York City burned. Annie Ghazikhanian, the only baseline in the group, had only recently joined the school’s staff after her son Carter's powers manifested. She was of Armenian descent and strikingly beautiful; she was also one of the best trauma nurses Dr. Reyes had ever seen. Sharon Friedlander had started life as a baseline human, but an encounter with the Demon Bear, while trying to help a young Danielle Moonstar had changed her life forever. The demon's magic had awakened her dormant X-Gene and she'd been with the X-Men ever sense.

Sharon was an exceptionally skilled E.R. nurse and she and Annie had Xi’an ready for surgery in no time. Rahne had done a good job, as always, but the injuries were just too severe and they all agreed that amputation was the only option. Xi’an took the news better than expected, but Annie could see the fear in her eyes and she and Sharon did their best to comfort her as they got ready to put her under. Xian couldn't ask for a better team, they were so focused on her that none of them even heard the door open and Hank yelling at Josh.

"What are you standing there for?!" Hank roared as he looked up and saw Josh. He was so shocked by the sight of Laura that for a moment he just froze. He wouldn't have known who it was if they hadn't told him she'd been hurt and he wondered if he was strong enough to heal her.

"Wh-Where do I start?" Josh stammered as he came to Laura's side.

"Heal her airway and be quick about it!" Hank ordered as he grabbed Josh's hands and forced them onto Laura's chest and abdomen. The sickening stench of burned flesh filled his lungs and he had to fight hard not to be sick as he began to heal her. He'd been horrified when he'd discovered he was a mutant; his parents had disowned him and his whole world seemed to come crashing down around him. He'd embraced his new identity as a "superhero" to escape the pain he felt from being abandoned and treated like an outcast. Now he wondered if he'd made the right choice; seeing his classmate so horribly injured was sobering.

"Tha's it Josh! Yer're doin' it!" Rahne exclaimed as Laura began breathing normally and crying out in pain. She could see how hard this was for him and she did her best to comfort and encourage him as he healed Laura.

"The pod won't be able to stabilize her fast enough; it wasn't designed for the human anatomy." Dr. Nemesis said as he examined the scanner. "Josh!  _ **You're**_  going to have to regenerate her skin and nerves!" He ordered. Josh nodded and began regenerating her skin from the small patch left on her foot.

"Josh, be careful!" Hank said emphatically. He was monitoring his vitals and his body was under an incredible amount of stress. Regenerating a multiple major organs took a huge amount of energy and Josh had only recently begun his medical training. He was still unskilled and relying on the incredible amount of power he possessed.

"I'm Class 5, I can handle it." He said smugly. He was beginning to feel drained, but Rahne's kind words and attention had given him back his confidence and his courage. He wanted to be a hero and save Laura, but more than anything he wanted to show Rahne how much better he was than Mike.

"Don't get cocky you simpleton!" Dr. Nemesis exclaimed. "You have no clue how to use your powers properly!" He chided.

"I can do this!" Josh yelled. Within moments he'd regenerated Laura's skin and nerves, healed her eyes, throat and lungs and even re-grown her hair, but it had cost him dearly. He was so weak he could barely stand up, but he didn't want to show any weakness in his moment of glory.

"She's stabilizing." Hank said checking the scanner for her vital signs. "David! Help Ms. MacTaggart take Laura to the pod, I'll be in to check on her shortly." He ordered as he tried to comfort her. She was disoriented and still in pain, though nothing like she had been. The Shiar medical equipment would heal her while she slept and give her healing factor a chance to recover.

"Not bad for a snot-nosed boy, huh?" Josh asked as he gave Rahne a cocky look.

"Grow up." Rahne told him. She was not impressed by his cocky attitude and gave him a cold look as she quickly covered Laura with a sheet. The poor girl was completely naked and she'd suffered enough indignity in her life already without her classmate seeing her like that.

"Nemesis, will you see if Cecelia needs any assistance; it appears Mr. Foley has overexerted himself." Hank said as he noticed how pale Josh had become.

"I am no one's assistant! I'll send her out to play "house" with you and that egotistical nuisance now that the easy part is over." Dr. Nemesis hissed as he opened the airlock to the operating room.

**Medical** **Bay** **– Intensive Care Unit**

_‘Did that really just happen?’_ Laura wondered as David hooked her up to the alien machine. She couldn't understand why Sam and Mike would put themselves in such a position for her. She hardly had any friends, most of the students made it clear they thought she was a monster and wasn't welcome. Emma Frost thought she was dangerous; she’d turned almost everyone against her and she’d even tortured her with visions of her dead mother trying to drive her away. She would have run away weeks ago if it weren't for Sophie, Phoebe and Celeste; they’d told Ororo what was happening to Laura and she'd been protecting her ever since.

Ororo was furious; if anyone belonged at the school it was Laura and she'd made it clear she wouldn't tolerate  _anyone_  treating her badly. Laura had no control over how she was brought into the world or what had happened to her at the Facility and she deserved a chance to build a real life for herself. Ororo told Rahne what was happening and she'd admonished the students several times when she'd caught them gossiping about Laura and Emma’s daughters. 

"Why did they do that to save me?" Laura asked weakly.

"We're nae jus' a team, we're a family, we love each other and we dinnae leave anyone behind." Rahne told her.

"You act like you think I am a real person." Laura said as tears began to well up in her eyes. She was grateful for Rahne's kind words and for Sam and Mike's selfless actions. They had treated her like a real person, like her life had value and she was overwhelmed with emotion that they accepted her when so many of the others refused too. X-Force knew what Laura had done, but they knew what the Facility had done to her and that she couldn’t resist the effects of the trigger scent.

"Ye  _ **are**_  a real person." Rahne said emphatically. "Ye gave yer life fer children ye've ne'er even met. Mike was right, yer're nae a monster, yer're a hero and yer mum would be so proud of ye if she could see who ye've become." Rahne said as she brushed a tear from her cheek. There was no doubt in her mind now that Laura really did have a soul and it actually made her physically ill to think about what those horrible people had done to her. Rahne felt God was calling her to help Laura overcome the trauma they'd inflicted on her, just as her friends and family had helped her.

"You're going to be fine Laura." David said reassuringly as he ran a full scan on her. He didn't know if Rahne was right, but he could see the other students were dead wrong about Laura and he was ashamed he hadn't done more to stop them from being cruel to her. She might not be very good at expressing or understanding her emotions, but she still had them and he couldn't imagine how horrible she must feel. He made up his mind he was going to stand up to the others along with Megan and Cessily and follow Ms. Munro and Ms. MacTaggert’s example.

"Ye're nae alone anymore." Rahne said as David made the final adjustments to the pod. "Things will be better Laura, Ah promise." Rahne told her as she drifted off to sleep. The machine resembled a sarcophagus with a clear panel to view the patient. There was a soft hiss as it formed an airlock and a gentle hum as it stabilized the internal environment and began to heal her.

"Are you alright Ms. MacTaggart?" David asked as they walked to the door. He knew she was concerned for Laura and Xian, but she was strong and brave and he was surprised that she seemed so shaken and vulnerable now.

"No." Rahne said quietly. She'd managed to hold herself together this long because she had to, but she was seriously disturbed and frightened by her ultimate transformation. She'd defeated Hodge, but she nearly lost control of herself and she'd endangered the others in her rage. She hated herself for giving in to her anger and the savage impulses of the wolf; she'd wanted to kill Hodge, but it wasn't for her to pass judgment.

**Aboard the PACRAT En-Route to the Jean Grey School**

"What happened to Mike?" Tabitha asked as she, Sam and Theresa tried to care for the RIGHT's victims as best they could. The MRE's they kept onboard weren't very good, but the kids were so hungry they didn't care. 

 _'Ugh, these things are so nasty.'_  Tabitha thought as she tore open the packages and poured in the water to activate the chemical heat. She'd eaten plenty of them during the war and they brought back a lot of bad memories of being cold, hungry and scared.

"He lost his best friend on a mission." Sam said, remembering the first time he'd met Mike and Jesse Aaronson during the war. Mike wasn't nearly as grim and brooding as he was now and Jesse always seemed to be able to make him laugh and keep him from taking things too seriously. "Hawkeye and Black Widow's team got shot down behind th' line and overrun; th’ Angels jumped in and held th' Infinites off long enough t' evacuate 'em, but Mike and Jesse got captured and taken t' Mikhail." He told her. "That sick bastard tortured th' hell out of Mike." Sam said. "He plugged Jesse into some kind of machine to amp up his powers and used him to break through th' defense net around th’ Triskelion." He said. Jesse's powers wreaked havoc on the base, disrupting electronic systems and triggering neural spasms, debilitating everyone. The base had been heavily damaged, hundreds of SHIELD soldiers died and Colonel Fury was killed along with sixteen Avengers.

"But Mikhail died in that battle; how could he lose with a weapon like that?" Tabitha asked.

"Mike broke 'em out during th' battle and Jesse used his powers to destroy Mikhail's techno-mesh armor and crash the ship.  Mike killed Mikhail, but Jesse died from overusing his powers." Sam told her as he finished preparing the MRE's for Madelyn and Haley.

"And SHIELD just patched him up and sent him right back out didn't they?" She asked as Sam nodded. Tabitha shook her head in disgust; she had a pretty good idea what was going on in Mike's head now and she was really worried about him. Mike was strong, but everyone had their limit; he'd reached his and he needed help dealing with everything he'd been through. He was really stubborn and she didn't know how easy it would be to convince him to go to counseling, but hopefully his relationship with Rahne would be enough motivation. She and Sam had gotten help together and Rahne was still seeing a specialist twice a month. Theresa had finally gotten help with her alcoholism before it was too late, but something told her Mike would be more reasonable. Mike was far from perfect, but at his core he was still a good man who hadn't given in to hate and anger. He'd only resorted to lethal force to protect the children and his compassion for them and for Laura told Tabitha everything she needed to know about him.

"This is pretty ugly Mike; you gonna be alright?" James asked as he helped Mike out of his armor vest and cut open the sleeve of his body suit so he could treat his wound. It was more serious than he thought and he was impressed Mike was still standing. He was extremely tough, but Hodge had made a real mess of him.

"I've had worse; I'll make it." He answered, gritting his teeth as James sprayed more cauterizing foam into the wound. He’d been blasted by a thousand horrible memories of pain and torture while trying to ease Laura’s suffering and the physical pain he felt was nothing compared to the mental anguish he was experiencing. He knew what had happened to her; he'd read the files, but being in her mind and feeling what she felt; it was worse than being tortured by Mikhail. He was trying to be strong, but her pain was more than he could bear.

"Ye two go somewhere else to do that." Theresa said as she continued to comfort Callie. The children had already been exposed to too much horror and violence and the sight of Mike's wound was disgusting. The youngest would probably all be scarred for life and need years of therapy to overcome the trauma they'd just been put through.

"It's ok." Callie said quietly.

"Yeah, he saved us." Mark said as he rolled over on the stretcher and looked up at Mike appreciatively.

" _ **We**_  saved y'all." Mike corrected him.

"How did ye get caught?" Theresa asked.

"It was Senator Kelly's fault!" Callie said angrily. "Him and that awful newspaper!"

"I knew this was gonna happen!" Sam fumed. Senator Kelly had been pushing his Mutant Registration Act in the aftermath of the war and unfortunately, he was making progress. Several papers and news organizations around the country had taken it upon themselves to publish the names and addresses of mutants in their area even though they hadn't done anything wrong. Sam had said that it would open them up to persecution and while many people condemned it, the papers went right ahead with their plans, some even publishing maps online.

"This is bullshit!" Mike yelled as he slammed his fist against the wall.

"Mike! Not in front of the kids." Tabitha interrupted. Mike nodded and looked a little embarrassed, he was used to being in a war zone and hadn’t quite adjusted to having kids around again.

"I just hope that not  _everyone_  in th' media has bought into that crap that we're terrorists." Theresa said grimly. "He has to be held accountable fer this." She added. She'd already ordered Cypher to alert that media, but that might not be enough and Senator Kelly and those newspapers had to pay for what they'd done. She was also hoping that SHEILD would step in and shut Trask Industries down now that X-Force had proved they still working on the Nimrod Sentinels.

"Callie, what happened to Laura?" Sam asked as Theresa continued to comfort her. He hated to even ask her, but he was responsible for bringing Laura on the mission and he had to know what happened.

"Wrath said you guys were in trouble so he and Boomer went to help, their sister went too, even though he told her not to." She said, nodding toward Nga and Leong. "Laura hid us in the bunker so we'd be safe, just like Wrath said, but then those two robots started trying to break in and set the place on fire so she had to go fight them." Callie told them. "She stopped the first one, but the other one burned her…she was still fighting it even though she was on fire." Callie said as she broke down crying again. She'd never seen anything so awful and she didn't think she'd ever be able to forget it. Nicholas whimpered and began to cry as Theresa tried to comfort both of them.

"It's ok Nick." Mark said as he put his hand on the younger boys shoulder. He knew Nicholas was embarrassed to break like that in front of Mike and James, but he didn't have anything to be ashamed of.

Sam felt sick to his stomach as he made his way up to the comm. station near the front of the PACRAT. Nobody should have to see the things he had today, especially not those children. He'd seen it all before during the war, kids broken and robbed of their innocence like Nicholas was; they'd never be the same again and there was nothing he could do.

He knew exactly what was wrong with Mike, there was only so much of this anyone could take before they broke and he'd been drowning in the madness longer than any of them. He knew why Laura was so adamant that he allow her to help, but he still felt terrible about his decision. He prayed she'd survive and he prayed he hadn't damaged her even more; he'd made hard choices before, but this might be the hardest to live with.

 _"Med Bay, this is PACRAT, do ya read?"_  He asked as he picked up the microphone. The communication system was encrypted, so he didn't have to worry about SHIELD listening in on them.  _"Beast, are ya there?"_ He asked after a moment of silence.  _'I swear if that witch double crossed us, I'll hunt her down and kill with my bare hands if I have too.'_ He thought as an awful thought crept into his mind.

 _"Go ahead PACRAT."_  Sharon said as she came on the communication system.  _"Make it quick, I'm needed in surgery."_ She added.

 _"We've got seven hostages, all juveniles. Oldest is a white male, sixteen, gunshot wound to the right calf; he's stable."_  Sam told her as Sharon logged the information for Dr. McCoy, Dr. Nemesis and Dr. Reyes.  _"Mikes hurt too, massive trauma to the lower left arm and a gunshot wound to his right side; we’ve stopped th’ bleeding, but he’s gonna need surgery when we land."_  He said.

 _"Understood Sam."_  Sharon said.  _"Hurry home."_

 _"Sharon, did Laura make it?"_  He asked.

 _"Laura's fine Sam, she's in the pod recovering."_  She answered.  _"Josh saved her, but he passed out.  He's in some kind of coma; Beast is with him now."_  She explained _. "We can't save Xi’an's leg but she'll pull through; I've got to get back to her; Med Bay out."_  She said as she cut the transmission.

Sam was relieved by the good news for Xi’an and Laura, but he felt terrible about Josh and he knew Danielle must be worried sick. Despite the fact that Danielle had insulted Tabitha, he still cared for her and he knew she was struggling emotionally already. Even though his team had saved all the hostages, the school and exposed Trask Industries this mission felt like a failure. Josh was in a coma, Xi’an was crippled, Rahne and Mike were emotionally destroyed and Logan would go berserk when he found out about Laura. He was certain Emma Frost was  _already_  trying to convince Scott and Ororo to throw them out and he didn't know if the fact they'd just saved the school was going to make any difference.

 _'We did the right thing and I'm not backing down from them.'_  He thought as he went to break the news to the others.

"I know I shouldn't have let Shan fight." Mike sighed as Sam sat down beside him. "There's nothin' you can say that'll make me feel worse than I already do." He said.

"I'm not blamin' you. Callie said ya told her no, but she went anyway." Sam said.

"She just wanted to protect 'em; she's all they've got." Mike said, looking at the twins.

"I just got word from th' school; Laura and Xi’an are gonna make it." Sam told him. "Xi’an's in surgery right now; she's gonna lose her leg, but Forge can give her a new one." He told him. "Josh saved Laura and she's recoverin', but he passed out after using all that energy. Beast is tryin' t' figure out what to do fer him." He said.

"Thanks." Mike sighed.

"There was nothin' else you could have done Mike." Sam told him as he got up to tell the others. "Beatin' yerself up ain't gonna help 'em.  They don't need you to feel guilty; they need you to be strong and protect 'em."

"What are you going to do about Spiral?" James asked.

"I'll think of some way to screw her over." Mike said.

**Jean Grey School**

**Main** **Medical Bay**

"What the hell is wrong with you people?!" Danielle yelled as she confronted Rahne in the medical bay. Josh had been called out of class to save Laura, but now he was the one in peril and she'd rushed to his side the moment she'd heard what happened. Rahne already felt bad enough about Xi’an's leg and about nearly losing control of herself, but the situation with Josh had her at her breaking point.

"It’s bad enough that after everything that happened to **us** you guys took a student on a mission, but now you may have killed Josh trying to save her!" She yelled as she shoved Rahne against the wall. Danielle had saved Josh from a gang of Reavers after his parents had disowned him and he'd inadvertently restored her powers as he healed the injuries she'd received defending him. She was grateful to have her powers and a purpose again and she’d become extremely protective of him.

"Dani, Ah'm sorry." Rahne choked out as the tears started to roll down her cheeks.

"How could you Rahne?!" Danielle screamed at her sobbing friend. "Josh is special!  He saves lives! The world needs mutants like him!" She yelled. “Laura’s not worth his life! She’s a murderer! A monster grown in a lab!” David was horrified by her cruel words and he was thankful that Laura was sound asleep and hadn't heard any of that. Danielle was his mentor so he knew about her past trauma and why she cared for Josh, but he was appalled by her now.

"Shut up Dani!" Rahne snarled as she involuntarily changed forms. "She cannae help th' way she was born! It's nae her fault! None of it was her fault! She ne'er had a chance!" She yelled. David was scared now, he'd never seen Rahne like this before; she was so upset she’d shifted forms and her tears were soaking the fur on her cheeks. He began to understand just how deeply personal Laura's suffering was to Rahne and he was moved by her compassion.

"Ms. Moonstar, you're wrong about Laura." David said emphatically. "I know you're worried about Josh; we  _ **all**_  are, but it's not right to take your pain out on her, or Ms. MacTaggart. They were trying to do the right thing." He said, trying to calm them down.

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions David." Emma said as she and Ororo made their presence known. She'd come for proof that Laura had accompanied X-Force to sate her bloodlust, but with Ororo present, she couldn't interrogate her. Laura was under Ororo's protection and not even Scott could overrule her on matters concerning the students or the school. Xavier's health was deteriorating and he had been forced to step down from his duties at the school, leaving Scott in charge of the X-Men and Ororo in charge of the school and the students. He'd never intended to create a fighting team and he wanted to separate the X-Men from the school as much as possible so this new generation of students wouldn't grow up fighting like the New Mutants.

"Your sarcasm is unbecoming Ms. Frost." Ororo said emphatically. "Danielle, don't let your pain blind you to the suffering of others." She said as she put her arm around her.

"Laura is **not** a monster and Rahne has always put the students before herself; she loves these children and  _you_  of all people should understand how much pain she's in right now." Ororo told her as Danielle began to cry. Rahne was so upset she couldn’t block her psychic bond with Danielle and once she’d changed forms her sadness overwhelmed her friend.

"I'm sorry." Danielle choked out as Ororo held her close and gathered Rahne in her arms as well. Ororo had come to talk to Rahne; she was angry that X-Force had chosen to involve Laura in their plan, but she was going to withhold judgment until she had the facts. David had sent Sharon's report to her and from what she understood so far, X-Force was lucky to be alive. One look at Rahne was proof enough for anyone that they'd been put through the wringer. She looked utterly exhausted and her healing factor hadn't completely healed all the cuts and bruises she'd received yet. Her uniform was covered in dirt and blood and it still had pieces of Laura's burned skin stuck to it. Rahne was already an emotional wreck after the stress of her transformation and nearly losing Xi’an and Laura; but the situation with Josh and Danielle was too much and she just couldn't stop crying.

"Let it out Rahne." Ororo told her as she held her close. Rahne reverted to her natural form and started to cry even harder. She and Jean had taken a special interest in Rahne when she'd arrived because of her tragic past and she'd often found herself comforting her when she was sad or needed advice. She hadn't wanted this kind of life for her, for any of them, but she understood Rahne's need to help others and why she continued to put herself in harms way.

"You'll feel better after a bath." Ororo said as she brushed the hair out of Rahne's face. "We can talk about what happened when Sam and the others get back."

" _ **I**_  would rather not wait, in case Alex comes asking questions again like the last time they caused trouble." Emma said in an icy tone. Their last raid on Trask Industries, several months earlier, had resulted in millions of dollars in damages and no concrete evidence that Project Nimrod was still active. X-Force hadn't left any traces and SHIELD thought it might be the work of the Mutant Liberation Front, but Scott's brother Alex was suspicious. He had tired of living in his brother's shadow and he'd joined the Avengers along with Lorna after the war. He was convinced he and Lorna were only a token effort to appease the mutant community, but he wanted to build trust between the humans and the mutants. Alex certainly didn't approve of the sentinel program, but he'd come with a warning that if they were involved then they were risking the future of the school if they got caught.

"Th' sentinels happened." Rahne said tersely as she regained some composure. "Th' RIGHT had  **Nimrod Sentinels** , guarding their lab." She said, letting it sink in. Emma and Ororo were both as stunned as Rahne had been when she'd seen them. It made no sense to sell or give sentinels to RIGHT and from what she'd sensed from Larry Trask during their last meeting, he was as frightened of Nimrod as they were. He had examined Nimrod's heavily damaged memory core after he was destroyed by the Avengers and he knew what awaited humanity if the project went any further.

Nimrod had come from the future; from a dark and terrible timeline triggered by the Genoshan War. Designed to be the ultimate hunter and killer of mutants, the machine had become self-aware and rejected its programming to protect human life. Nimrod and the sentinels had unleashed a holocaust on the earth, killing billions before a team of Secret Avengers found a way to defeat them. With annihilation inevitable, Nimrod took Doctor Doom’s chrono-inhibitor and fled back through time with the remaining sentinels to prevent their defeat. Nimrod attacked when SHIELD and Genosha were on the brink of war in an attempt to destroy all its enemies in one devastating assault. However, the plan radically altered the timeline far beyond Nimrod's calculations and the irreconcilable changes it detected in the new timeline caused it to shut down and reboot, leaving it vulnerable to SHIELD and the Avengers. Nimrod had faced the Avengers in the future and defeated them all except for Hulk and Thor who were both off world. Their presence in the past tipped the balance in favor of the Avengers since Nimrod was unable to adapt to the mystical properties of uru and it's time drive was damaged by the first blow from Mjolnir. Nimrod managed to overcome Thor, but the machine had its limits while the Hulk had none and he destroyed Nimrod after an apocalyptic battle in the burning ruins of Hammer Bay.

Nimrod's memory core was heavily damaged by the battle and very little information about future survived, but it confirmed Professor Xavier's worst fears. The professor had been overly cautious after the X-Men had toppled the Genoshan government and Magneto had deserted them to rule the country. A mutant nation had put the world on edge and spurred Bolivar Trask to create the first sentinels. It was never Xavier's intention to create a mutant state; he didn't think mutants and baseline humans should segregate themselves and Magneto's leadership exacerbated the fears of the baselines. Xavier was trying to bring humanity together, but his actions, while noble, had only helped to drive them further apart.

Little was certain except that the X-Men had failed to avert a war with the baselines in the future and Xavier was genuinely frightened for the future of the mutant race. The Purge wiped out over three quarters of the earth's mutants in under eight hours, crippled SHIELD’s fleet, cost the lives of twenty five Avengers and caused a schism among the X-Men.  Professor Xavier urged caution, but Cable urged action before someone else finished what Nimrod started. The New Mutants, devastated by the loss of Illyana and Danielle, had taken up Cable's cause and many of the X-Men still resented them.

"Sam was right." Ororo said after a moment's silence.

"You have news Dr. McCoy?" Emma asked as he joined them. She was eager to change the subject; after losing the Hellions, she'd seen the error of her ways and she'd taken up Xavier's cause. She'd urged caution as well in the hope of protecting the school and the students, but it seemed she'd been wrong about Larry Trask. Knowing she was wrong was bad enough, but having it thrown in her face by Rahne was too much. She hated Rahne and she didn't approve of her teaching the students. She felt she was too young and too damaged, not to mention her continued involvement with the outlaw X-Force set a bad example for the kids.

"Yes." He said as he knelt down beside Danielle. She was still an emotional wreck from linking with Rahne and crying uncontrollably.  Hank had to give her a few minutes more to calm down before he could even begin to talk to her.

"Josh's condition is serious, but it's treatable." Hank told her as she wiped her eyes. "We have several ideas for how to bring him out of his coma, but we'll know more once we've had time to observe him and get the test results." He said, trying to console her. Danielle was relieved by the news, but Josh was still in danger and she was afraid their plans might not work. Healers were rare and Class 5 mutants even more rare, they'd never encountered anyone like Josh before, so naturally she was nervous.

"Wha' about Shan?" Rahne asked despondently.

"Nemesis is fitting her with a cybernetic nerve interface now." He told her. "There was nothing else you could have done Rahne." He said emphatically. "She's alive because of what you did for her and she  **will** walk again." He added, trying to make Rahne feel better. She'd done everything she could to save her leg and he was impressed by her skill, but there was just too much damage. Rahne had saved Xi’an's life, but in doing so she'd had to almost completely cut off circulation to her leg and the tissue was dying. There was nothing else she could have done under the circumstances or Xi’an would have bled to death and he hoped Rahne wouldn't continue to blame herself.

"The Shiar equipment can't regenerate her leg?" Emma asked.

"While human and Shiar physiologies are similar on a  _very_  basic level, we're having a hard time adapting the machines to our bodies." Hank explained. "Right now, we're simply not able to regenerate an entire limb and we wouldn't have been able to save Laura if not for Josh." He said. "Nemesis and I should be able to adapt the technology to better suit our needs in the future; hopefully we can do more for her then." He said. They hadn't had the pods long and while they were a priority, it was an exceedingly complex task working with alien technology.

"What of the little monster?" Emma asked.

"Stop callin’ her a monster!" Rahne yelled. " _She saved seven lives today! Wha’ have_ _ **ye**_ _done?_!" She asked incredulously.

"Remember who you're speaking too Ms. MacTaggart." Emma said sternly.

"Ah've nae forgotten who and wha' ye are  _Ms. Frost._ " Rahne said defiantly. "Ye think Ah dinnae know how ye've tortured tha' poor girl with visions of her dead mum?! If there's a monster here it's  **ye**!" She snapped.

"You vile little mongrel!" Emma yelled. "I will not be lectured by an impudent child who was raised in the gutter! You'll learn some respect or you'll be back on the street where you belong!" She sneered. Emma  _said she’d_  changed, but she still had a lot of rough edges and she often behaved like a bully, especially to those she felt were beneath her. Ororo had grown up poor herself and she was offended that Emma had mocked Rahne's humble beginnings. She was proud of the strong woman Rahne had become and she wasn't going to let Emma provoke her into a confrontation.

"That's enough class warfare Emma and Rahne isn't going anywhere!" Ororo said sternly. "Rahne, you've done all you can for the others; you need to take some time for yourself." She said.

"Ah may ha' been born in th' gutter Emma, but  **Ah**  ne’er wallowed in th' filth." Rahne said as she left to bathe and change. Emma was furious at having  _her_  past thrown back at her, but she couldn't deny it. She'd done terrible things as a member of the Hell Fire Club and her family was a dysfunctional nightmare.

"Insolent little bitch!" Emma fumed.

"Emma, a word with you, **_in private_**." Ororo said as she motioned for Emma to follow her. "I thought I made myself clear when I said that Laura is to be treated with dignity and kindness." She said as they stepped out into the hallway. "She's no more a monster than  _your girls_  and as long as I'm headmistress, this is her home." She said firmly, meeting Emma's icy glare with her own.

"She's dangerous, but you're too blinded by emotion to see it." Emma said. "I've seen inside her mind, death and murder are all she knows, look how eager she was to join X-Force."

"You're the one who's blind. You violated her mind, but you only saw what you  _wanted_  to see." Ororo said in a disgusted tone. "She joined X-Force to save those children from being used as weapons like she was." She told her.

"You're jeopardizing everyone trying to save her." Emma said.

" _Your_   _girls_  are more dangerous than she is, but I'm trying to save them too." Ororo told her. "They were created to be weapons just like Laura, and just like Laura; they deserve our compassion, not our judgment." She said. "I won't give up on Laura, I won't give up on them and I won't give up on you Emma." She said as she left to comfort Danielle, leaving Emma to consider what she'd said.

**The Lab**

"What's wrong with me Beast?" Danielle asked as she sat down beside Josh. Dr. McCoy was busy running every type of test imaginable on him and it broke her heart to see him lying there, half naked, hooked up to all those different machines. She had every right to be angry, but Rahne's words had struck a nerve and she was disgusted with herself for judging Laura so harshly. She was angry with Rahne, but she regretted what she'd said and how she'd treated her after she’d felt her pain through their link. She thought she'd put her past behind her and moved on, but she'd hurt her best friend's feelings twice already and alienated most of her other friends as well.

"You have post traumatic stress disorder." Hank said as he stopped and came to her side. He'd diagnosed all her teammates after the war and he was prepared for an argument. There was such a stigma associated with mental health and behavioral health issues, especially in the superhero community, that they all thought people would think they were weak or crazy or both. Rahne was the only one who'd accepted his diagnosis since she'd dealt with emotional problems most of her life and she'd helped convince the others to seek help.

"I'm not crazy." She said quietly as she became emotional again. "I got over what happened."

"You're  _ **not**_  crazy Danielle, you're normal." Hank said emphatically. "But you can't just  _"get over"_  being tortured and having your identity ripped away from you; not without help." He told her. "Your friends all went through this in one form or another after the war; most of them didn't want to accept it either, but they're better now that they've gotten help."

"But why is it happening like this now?" she asked.

"We all react to trauma differently." He explained. "With Rahne, it was immediate and obvious, but Sam and Tabitha took longer to manifest obvious symptoms and it was quite ugly when they did." He told her. "Theresa tried to self-medicate and failed, miserably, but she had James to comfort her and he was fortunate enough not to suffer PTSD." He said.

"So what do I do? Go lie on a couch and talk about my feelings?" She asked.

"I can recommend several excellent therapists." Hank said, trying to ignore Danielle's sarcasm.

"What do they know about being de-powered?" She asked bitterly as she got up to leave. She didn't want to admit she couldn't deal with this on her own; she didn't want anyone to see how scared and broken she  _really_  was. She needed get out and collect herself, but she ran right into Ororo, who was deeply concerned for her. She'd lost her powers to the Genengineer years earlier and eventually re-powered by Dr. McCoy, so she knew how lost and angry Danielle felt. It was obvious from the callous way she'd just treated Rahne that she was still suffering and Ororo would help if she'd let her.

"We need to talk." She said as Danielle reluctantly followed her. Ororo had been a role model for her as well and she felt like a disappointment to her after what she'd done. Danielle had thought getting her powers back would make everything better, but it hadn't,  She still felt lost and completely out of place, even here at the school. Rahne wasn't the needy little sister she had once been and despite the psychic bond they’d shared, Tabitha seemed to understand her better than she ever had. Any hope she ever had of leading the team again was gone now since _everyone_  respected Sam's leadership. She wondered why they'd even asked her to come back at all; she didn't agree with some of their methods and they already had a telepath. Unlike her, Mike was a  _true_  telepath, he could rip thoughts out of their enemies' minds if he had too and he was able to focus his telepathy inward, making him immune to psychic attacks.

**The Garden**

"I know you've been through a lot Danielle. I know it better than anyone and I can help you overcome this, but you have to face the truth, you have to stop running away." Ororo said as they stood on the shore looking out over the sparking waters of White Rock Lake.

"I've never run from anything Ororo!" Danielle said angrily.

"You can lie to yourself Danielle, but you can't lie to me." Ororo said firmly. "Stryker took more than just your powers, he took your identity and he took your dignity." She said. "You were afraid Danielle; **truly**  afraid for the first time in your life because you didn't know who you were. You think being a mutant defines you and when you lost that, you couldn't accept yourself. You couldn't stand to be around the others because they reminded you of what you'd lost so you ran away. You ran away and you broke your best friend's heart." Ororo said.

"You're angry about what Stryker did to you, you're ashamed you ran away and you feel guilty about what happened to Rahne and the others after you left." Ororo told her. "You've never dealt with any of it Danielle and all that anger, shame and guilt is tearing you apart inside." She said. "You're projecting your anger onto Michael, your shame onto Tabitha and your guilt onto Rahne." She said. "It's time to stop running Danielle, it's time to face this head on and stop wallowing in self-pity before you hurt anyone else." Ororo said.

"You're right…about everything." Danielle choked out as tears began to pour down her cheeks. "I'm so messed up…" She sobbed as Ororo held her close, trying to comfort her. This was hurting her more than Danielle, but she knew this was the only way to get through to her.

"I know how lost you feel Danielle, but you're not alone." Ororo said as she held her.

"I don't want to talk about it…I don't want to remember it…he took everything from me, he tore me down to nothing." Danielle cried.

"I know." Ororo said as her eyes filled with tears. "I know how badly you wanted to fight back, but couldn't, how he had all the control, how he could violate your body and there wasn't a damn thing you could do to stop him. I know how degrading and humiliating it is; how you can't get it out of your head; I know." Ororo said as she held Danielle close.

"I hate him." Danielle sobbed.

"I know you do, but Stryker is dead and you have to let your hate die with him." Ororo said as she continued to comfort her. "This isn't who you are Danielle; you have to come back to yourself." She said.

"I don't know who that is anymore." Danielle admitted. "The team has a leader and a telepath, they don't need me. Rahne doesn't need me either, she's got Tabitha."

"You need to respect the strong woman Rahne's become and stop treating her like she’s still a needy little girl.  It's unfair and disrespectful to put that burden on her after everything she’s had to overcome." Ororo said. "She loves you and she still wants you as a friend, but she loves Tabitha as well and you have to respect their relationship." She said firmly.

"I just…"

"You just want your old life back; you just want some comfort after the hell you've been through." Ororo said.

"Yeah." Danielle sighed.

"Things can't go back to the way they were before Danielle, but that doesn't mean they can't be good again." Ororo told her. "You're a teacher now and you can build a new life for yourself helping these children or you can join the X-Men if that's where you feel led." She said as she held her close. She sat in the grass with Danielle for a long time, sharing her experiences and advice. She told Danielle what Rahne and the other members of X-Force had gone through during and after the war and tried to help her understand how badly they'd been hurt as well. Danielle understood and she was finally being honest with herself, but Ororo knew from her own experience that it would be a long and difficult journey for her.

**Lakeside Coffee**

**Several Hours Later**

"They tore those guys apart." Cessily said as she sat in the coffee shop and watched the news coverage of X-Force's battle with RIGHT and the sentinels. SHIELD had sealed off the area and had already sent a team to Trask Industries, but their involvement with RIGHT was being reported by the media thanks to Cypher. Wrath had a nano-camera mounted in his helmet that uploaded to one of Cypher's servers and he'd already put together a damning video of sentinels aiding the RIGHT agents. He wished he could have shown the world the whole thing, but he couldn't risk showing any more for fear someone at SHIELD or in the superhero community would recognize his teammate's powers and they'd all be arrested as terrorists. Still, the short video and the plans for the Genengineering lab had people talking about the so called "terrorists" and the children they'd rescued.

The victims had all been thoroughly examined by Dr. McCoy and Dr. Nemesis and they were all fine, physically. Mark had been healed by the Shiar medical equipment and Forge was hard at work on a prosthetic leg for Xi’an. Dr. Nemesis had successfully attached the cybernetic interface to her nervous system and she was recovering in one of the healing pods. Kitty, Jubilee and Sam's younger sister Paige had volunteered to look after the victims, especially the younger children, giving Tabitha a chance to recover. Kitty didn't really like Tabitha, but she was impressed by how good she was with the children.

The students had mixed emotions, they were happy that the victims had been rescued and they were grateful that X-Force had saved their lives. Hodge was planning to turn his captives into mind-controlled, living weapons using the twisted science of Dr. Moreau, the Genengineer. Then he'd  _"allow"_  them to be  _"rescued"_  so he could activate them and destroy the school from within. Unfortunately, two of their classmates had been seriously injured and many were shocked at the savagery of the assault. Rahne was seen as one of the "cool teachers" at the school, but once Cypher's video hit,  _some_  students began to question her.

"I can't believe Ms. MacTaggart did all that." Megan said as she looked across the table at her classmates. She loved Rahne and she was proud that her mentor had saved those other kids, but she was still having a hard time accepting that she'd allowed Laura to accompany them; especially now that she'd  **seen**  what X-Force was capable of. She and Cessily were Laura's only friends and they'd been so upset that David and Noriko had taken them out to try to get their minds off everything that had happened.  They’d brought Sophie, Phoebe and Celeste Frost along too since they seemed really upset as well.

"Don't be too hard on her Meg.  They did what they had to do; they were a mess when they came in." David said. "They were all beaten up, Warpath was shot, so was Wrath and he nearly had his arm ripped off." He told them.

"Is he alright?" Noriko asked. She knew he was tough, but his injuries sounded really serious to her and she couldn't help but worry. She liked Mike; he had helped her when no one else cared and while he didn't share some of her more liberal views she knew he respected her.

"He’s fine; the Shiar pod fixed him right up." He told them. Noriko could tell David was holding something back from her, but she decided to ask him later. She was already impressed by him, he was a genius and a lot more mature than most of the other students. He also seemed genuinely concerned for his roommate Josh, even though they didn't get along at all.

"Why couldn't it save Laura?" Cessily asked.

"They weren't made for humans and there just wasn't enough time." He said. "Josh really has an incredible gift; it's a shame he let his ego get in the way…again." He sighed.

"Can Beast fix him?" Megan asked.

"No, but our mother can." Celeste said. "She can transfer all Dr. McCoy’s medical knowledge to Josh so he can heal himself." She explained.

"Everybody's gonna blame Laura for Josh like Ms. Moonstar did." Cessily said despondently.

"No they won't." Phoebe said. "Laura saved those kids; Mark and Callie told us all about it when Ms. Pryde introduced them." She said. Almost everyone viewed Laura differently now and she'd even seen Sooraya praying for her before they'd left. Julian and Santo might not change their minds about her, but they wouldn't be so cruel to her if the others stood up to them.

"Why does everybody hate Laura?" Noriko asked.

"She's a clone. They say she's not real and that she's doesn't have a soul." Megan explained.

"She's  **not**  a clone." David said emphatically. "She was artificially conceived using a cloning process, but Dr. Kenney used her own DNA to combine with Wolverine's; Laura's just as  _real_  as any of us." He said. He'd accessed Dr. McCoy's files earlier and read Dr. Kenney's notes that the X-Men had recovered from the Facility and he'd learned the truth of Laura's origin.

"She told me she was born in a bio-weapons lab. They trained her to be an assassin by forcing her to kill people and now the others think she's some kind of monster." Cessily said. "It's not true; she feels guilty about what she did and she has awful nightmares. I've heard her crying at night, but I don't know how to help her." She said as she became emotional and Megan put her arm around her.

"It's not her fault; she can't help how she was born." Noriko said indignantly. "What the fuck?! That's like baselines hating us for being mutants." She said angrily. She'd never been more disgusted and ashamed than she was right then. That they would treat one of their own so badly because of what other people had done to her was damnable. Mutants weren't any better than other people even though they claimed to be the most mistreated and Noriko was disgusted with the other students.

"That's what Ms. MacTaggart said." David told them. "She stood up to Ms. Moonstar and Ms. Frost for Laura and she told her she was real." He said. Cessily began to feel a little better; she knew Mike cared for Laura, but it was clear that Rahne cared for her as well and she was sure now that X-Force hadn't used her as a weapon. She was proud of Laura's selfless sacrifice to protect the innocent and she hoped Phoebe was right and the others would finally start to see her for who she really was.

“Sophie, what’s wrong?” Megan asked as she began to cry and Celeste put her arm around her.  The dainty blonde was the most sensitive and caring of the three sisters and she was ashamed of her mother’s cruelty toward Laura.

“She’s ashamed of the way mom treats Laura and she thinks she’s secretly disgusted by us too.” Celeste said as she tried to comfort her sister.

“Yeah, because she is.” Phoebe said angrily.

“Phoebe, you’re not helping.” Celeste told her.

“I’m being real Celeste!” Phoebe snapped. “You’re the one who’s not helping trying to pretend we’re a happy family.” She snapped. “We’re test tube freaks just like Laura and _mom’s_ disgusted by all of us; especially you!” She said.

“Do you three need a minute?” David asked.  The sisters usually kept to themselves, no one really knew anything about them and they were all shocked by what they’d just heard.

“Why? Are you creeped out by us too?” Phoebe asked angrily.

“No…this just seems really personal and…”

“It is.” Celeste interrupted. “We’ll talk about this later Phoebe.”

“I’m tired of living a lie Celeste.” Phoebe said.

“You just want to hurt mom and embarrass her.” Celeste said.

“Yeah, I do.” Phoebe admitted. “I’m sick of her trying to turn us into clones of her.” She said.  “But you’ve been saying how we should be doing more to stand up for Laura…so let’s do it, let’s tell the truth. Nobody likes us anyway; what have we got to lose?” She asked.

“We don’t know you.” David said. “You never hang out with anyone but yourselves.” He told them.

“We’re all we’ve ever had.” Celeste admitted.  “We were born in a lab like Laura was.” She told them.  “Apocalypse was vulnerable to psychics so when it looked like he was going to win they decided to breed a better psychic and clone them to power a psionic weapon system to kill him.” She explained. “They combined our mother’s DNA with the DNA of the five most powerful psychics in SHIELD and artificially aged us to see who would be the strongest so they could clone them.” She said.

“So there were five of you?” Cessily asked, trying not to cry.  She already felt terrible about her friend Laura, but now she was beginning to understand why the Frost sisters were so withdrawn and why they seemed so unhappy all the time.

“Yeah…” Celeste sighed as she wiped away a tear. “Irma and Esme died when Apocalypse attacked the lab. We were all linked, trying to stop him when it happened…that’s why we can’t use our telepathy anymore…it ruined us.” She said as all three of them became emotional.

Things finally made sense now; it was obvious the girls had different fathers, but David had never been clear on how they could all be the same age. David didn’t know what to say to them and he couldn’t imagine how awful they must feel after losing two of their sisters like that. He wanted to believe that Emma really did love them; that she just wasn’t very good at being a mother, but her cruelty to Laura and her vindictive attitude toward Rahne made him wonder. These weren’t her daughters by choice and they had almost noting in common with her. Sophie looked a little like her with her blonde hair and big breasts, but she was really quiet, sensitive and sweet, unlike Emma.  Phoebe was clearly half Asian with short black hair, almond shaped eyes and slightly darker skin than her sisters. She had the strongest personality of the three and seemed to be the most confident. She loved tattoos and body piercings which Emma hated and she also had some nerdy interests like comics that Emma didn’t approve of either. Celeste was almost six feet tall with an athletic figure and long brown hair.  She was focused and determined like her mother, but she also had a kind and generous nature.  She was the tomboy of the group and a huge disappointment to Emma who always dressed impeccably and had no interest in sports. 

“I know a thing or two about bad parents.” Noriko said as she tried to comfort Phoebe. “But you have each other and now you have us. You don’t have to be afraid anymore, we’ll stand up for you and for Laura.” She told them.

**Jean Grey School**

**X-Men Briefing Room**

"That doesn't excuse them for taking Laura." Scott said as he and Ororo sat watching the news reports on the battle and Trask Industries involvement with RIGHT. He didn't trust Larry Trask either, but he'd never dreamed he'd go so far as to aid terrorists like Hodge and now he felt like a fool.

"Laura and the school are my responsibility and I'll deal with the situation as I see fit." Ororo answered. "We should be more concerned with the fact that RIGHT was able to rebuild the Genengineer's lab without our knowledge and hide those children from Cerebro, but we should be most concerned about Trask's continued involvement with Nimrod." She said.

"There's worse out there than Nimrod." Sam said ominously as he and Theresa walked in and sat down. They both looked shaken and the others began to wonder what new threat they'd uncovered.

"What have you discovered?" Ororo asked.

"Bolivar Trask has got RIGHT kidnapping kids fer him." Theresa said. "Some type of human experimentation and a new type of sentinel; this stuff makes Dr. Moreau look like Dr. Phil." She told them.

"That's not in the files you stole from RIGHT." Scott said as he scrolled through the data Cypher and Boomer had stolen and uploaded to the schools database. Cypher may have reformed, but he was still a wanted international criminal and his involvement with X-Force put the team in an even more precarious position in Scott's mind.

"I got that from Hodge himself." Sam said. Dr. Nemesis had connected Hodge's severed neural connections to his scanner and pulled the information from his twisted, evil mind. Sam was grateful that Nemesis was always willing to help X-Force; he didn't have time to get bogged down in an ethical debate with Dr. McCoy when children were being used as human guinea pigs.

"How?" Scott asked suspiciously.

"Don't worry about it." Sam said bluntly. "We'll take care of 'em just as soon as SHIELD clears out and we can get t' Larry." He told them. "If ya'll wanna throw us out fer what happened t' Laura I don't blame ya, but stay out of our way till this is over."

"Look Sam, I've had it with all this cloak and dagger, black-ops bullshit!" Scott yelled. "We were looking for those kids too! You should have asked for our help and then you wouldn't have needed Laura!"

"We can't even eat breakfast together! How do ye expect yer people to work with us on a mission?!" Theresa exclaimed.

"Don't play Monday mornin' quarterback with me!" Sam snapped. "We had to go in today and I needed soldiers, not  _super heroes_!" He told them. "I told ya'll six months ago that RIGHT was gonna be a problem, but ya'll blew me off. **You** said _"they don't have th' resources t' be a significant threat anymore"_ well, we're set fer th' next  **three years**  off th' money we stole from 'em." He said sarcastically.

"We warned ye not to trust the government! We warned ye Trask was still working on Nimrod, but ye wouldn't listen and ye wouldn't help us!" Theresa said angrily.

"We can't just go to war!" Scott yelled. "That's goes against everything the school stands for!"

" **We**  just saved the school!" Theresa shot back. "It wouldn't be standing at all if…."

"This fighting must end!" Ororo interrupted as she stared across the table at Scott, Sam and Theresa. "The Lesotho have a proverb,  _ **when grasshoppers fight, the crows rejoice**_. We are a house divided while our enemies are united and moving against us as we speak." She said. "These children Trask is holding captive are more important than who was right and instead of arguing, we should be planning to rescue them!"

"I've got a plan." Sam said. "Ya'll don't have t' get involved."

"They've aided the RIGHT in attacking the school, we  _ **are**_  involved." Ororo said emphatically. "Do you know where they're holding the children?" She asked after a moment.

"Hodge doesn't know; his goons just grab 'em and Trask's goons pick 'em up." Sam said.

"How did you find Callie and the others when we couldn't even locate them with Cerebro?" Scott asked. Callie's father, Giancarlo Betto, had known Xavier for years and even grown the Institute's hedge maze for him. When his daughter had gone missing, he and his wife had immediately contacted Ororo for help finding her.

"Its amazing what ye can learn from a criminal." Theresa said sarcastically.

"Cypher's been watching 'em fer a while and he knew they were up to somethin' big, so we sent Mike in a few weeks ago to spy on 'em and plant some of Cypher's spyware in their system." Sam said. "Mike's good, but somethin' spooked Hodge and Trask sent him the Nimrod prototypes to kill us when we came fer th' kids."

"Based on what we got from Hodge this is all Bolivar's work, but Larry  _must_  know something and I don't trust SHIELD to figure it all out in time to help those kids." Theresa explained.

"So you're sending Mike after him?" Scott asked. It was the only plan that really made sense; Trask Industries was protected by mutant detectors and sentinels; Mike was the only one who could get at Larry. Despite the fact that Trask Industries had been caught red-handed aiding genocidal terrorists, going after Larry Trask was still posed a danger to the future of the school if X-Force was caught. Still, there was no option now that Bolivar had kidnapped those children and Scott knew they had to move fast before he had a chance to disappear. Ororo had always been one of Xavier's most loyal and dedicated students, but since Magneto’s betrayal she'd also advocated a more proactive role for the X-Men. She didn't agree with the more extreme methods X-Force employed, but it was clear that a compromise was needed and it was clear they should have listened to her.

"That's why he's here." Theresa said.

"If ya'll come with us, yer're playin' by our rules.  This is  _ **our**_ mission and I'm not sharin' command." Sam said. "I've already called in Cable and his X-Force fer backup, but I can make room fer ya'll too." He explained. Sam didn't think the X-Men would ever accept them again and he didn't think this joint mission would change that, but he was determined to bring those kids home safe. Scott didn't look at all pleased about taking orders from Sam, but X-Force had fought the Nimrod sentinels on Genosha and they had more experience dealing with Trask Industries security measures.

"All right Sam, just don't get in over your head again." Scott said, deciding those children were more important than a bruised ego. "We need to know what we're up against; do we know if these new sentinels are operational yet?"

"No, they're still in development" Sam said. "That's what th' kids are fer; he's developing nanomorphic molecular tissue and mind control nanites. He's turnin' th' kids into sentinels."

"Dear God; how is that even possible?" Scott asked.

"Cypher, Mike and Forge think it has to be some kind of future tech he got from Nimrod's memory core." Theresa told them. "Hodge is insane and Bolivar doesn't really trust him, but he needed his help to deal with us…and with ye."

" **You**  get wiped out on your mission by the sentinels, then  **we**  get killed in our sleep by the kids after we  _save_  them." Scott grumbled as the plan became clear to him. Judging by the information Cypher and Tabitha had stolen; Hodge had further refined Dr. Moreau's twisted science, rendering the genetic changes almost undetectable. Once the kids _programming_  was activated, they would have shut down the schools defense systems and attacked from within while RIGHT swarmed in and slaughtered everyone. Trask would then be free to pursue whatever horrible plan he'd concocted while RIGHT took the heat for the destruction of the school.

"Then why is Trask engaged in these ungodly experiments if the Genengineer's method is so precise and effective?" Ororo asked.

"Hodge and RIGHT were only a means to an end." Sam said. "Besides, Moreau’s bondin’ process only works on mutants, but Trask can theoretically turn anybody into a sentinel."

"They'd be unrecognizable and undetectable; they could be anyone, anywhere and eventually they'd be enough of them to exterminate what's left of us." Theresa explained. Trask was refining the process by experimenting on young mutants, but once he'd perfected the procedure he'd move on to baseline humans. Trask Industries operated several clinics specializing in cybernetic surgery and Bolivar could use them to build an army of sentinels from his patients.

"This is madness." Ororo said in disgust.

"No, this is Nimrod's plan." Sam told her. "This is th' first step toward reestablishing it's timeline.  These things aren't just meant fer us, they're meant fer th' war against th' baselines."

"Nimrod was destroyed; its memory core was smashed." Scott said.

"Was it?" Sam asked. "Ya'll saw what they wanted ya t' see; just like those prototypes they made such a big deal about dismantling."

"You've made your point." Scott said bluntly. "We've got a mission to plan. Now, what can you tell us about the prototype sentinels?" he asked.

"This is everything Mike saw out there." Sam said as uploaded the files to the main computer for them.

**Meanwhile at The Marina Bar**

Mike sighed in disgust as he sat at the bar and took another drink. He still felt terrible about Laura and Xi’an and he hated himself for failing to protect them. He was still having a horrible time coping with what he’d seen in Laura’s head.  All her pain had dredged up a thousand more memories of the suffering he’d seen in the war and he was desperate for some relief. This vodka was strong enough to knock out an elephant, but it was just what he needed to dull the pain.

"Take it easy pal; that stuff will kill ya." Jake the bartender said as he watched him from the other end of the bar. Mike turned and gave him a look that could have burned adamantium to ashes. He hadn't come to the bar for conversation and he didn't want or need Jake’s advice on anything.

"I paid fer this horse piss, not yer advice." He said coldly.

"Yeah, well you step outta line just this much and I’ll have the cops throw you out tough guy." Jake said as he went back to cleaning the bar. Mike was drinking 150 proof vodka straight and Jake assumed he must be one of the mutants from the school across the lake. He looked like he had been into something  _really_  bad so Jake decided to just leave him alone as long as he didn’t get rowdy.

 _' _You’re pathetic.'__  Mike thought as he put the bottle down. He was disgusted with himself for sitting in a bar drowning his sorrows like some damn cliché when those kids were crying for their sister and Rahne was still so upset. He should facing his pain and trying to comfort her right now instead of getting drunk, but he felt like a failure and he needed to be alone for a while.

**Up the Street at Lakeside Coffee**

"You didn't have to wait for me." Noriko said as she joined David outside on the sidewalk. She'd been talking to the owner of the coffee shop, but he had waited on her. Noriko was grateful for Tabitha and Rahne's generosity, but wearing other people's clothes made her a little self-conscious. She felt like a burden so she'd asked Alexis, the owner, for a job and she was going to start tomorrow. It was going to be hard for her to balance work, school and training, but this was important to her.

"I know you can take care of yourself Nori, but it's not safe; the Reavers have gotten brave." David told her. Noriko scowled, she knew all about the Reavers from her time on the streets and she hated them with a passion. They were mostly just snot-nosed punks, but they could be dangerous in groups and some of them had cybernetic augmentations.

“Those freaks tried to grab Josh a few days ago.” He explained.

"I hate Reavers." She told him. She'd wanted to believe she was safe here, that they'd never dare to come so close to the school, but deep down she knew better. They hurried to catch up to the others, David and the Frost sisters looked normal, but the rest of them didn’t and they'd make easy targets. Megan had pink hair and wings, Cessily was made of living metal and she had neon blue hair and gold eyes.

"Did they attack you too?" David asked. He knew Noriko must have had an awful time living on the streets with her powers out of control and he really felt bad for her. He didn't understand how her parents could disown her and he found it ironic that Mike, who he wouldn’t blame for hating mutants after the war, cared more about her than they did.

"I don't want to talk about it." Noriko told him as they rejoined the others. "What are you not telling me about Mike?" She asked, changing the subject.

"I  **can't**  talk about it Nori." He said. "I'm sorry. I know you care about him, but I can't talk about what happens in the medical bay."

"I know he got into a fight with Dr. McCoy; I could hear them yelling at each other all the way down in the engineering bay." She said.

"Yeah, it was bad." David admitted. "Dr. Reyes had to calm him down; apparently they know each other from the war." He said. Mike wasn't in any mood to be examined by Dr. McCoy after he woke up and saw Laura and Xi’an in the pods beside him and he'd been really ugly about it.

"Was he messed up about Laura?" Noriko asked. She wanted to believe Mike was as good and kind as she thought he was, but his temper made her wonder.

"Yeah, but it's more than that; Dr. McCoy thinks he has PTSD." David said as Noriko stopped and looked across the street at Mike's car parked at the Marina Bar. She was clearly disappointed in him and David knew how she felt; he’d looked up to Danielle after the stories Rahne told about her, but he was disgusted by her behavior earlier. Still, they'd both been through hell and he knew he and Noriko shouldn't expect them to be perfect.

"Oh  _snap_!" Cessily said as they all heard the loud pipes of Logan's motorcycle as he came flying down the road and headed straight for the bar, and Mike. He'd been out on personal business, but the news of Laura's injury had sent him rushing back to the school. He was beyond angry; he had Laura in school with the other kids trying to undo the damage and he'd forbidden her from going on missions. He couldn't believe Sam had let her go, much less Mike; he knew what Laura had gone through and he should have stopped her. He saw Mike's car and he skidded to a stop in the parking lot, jumped off and went in after him.

"What?!" Noriko asked. She hadn't met Logan yet and didn't know about his relationship with Laura.

" _That's_  Wolverine; that's Laura's dad." David explained as he exchanged worried looks with the others.

"Oh shit." Noriko said as she watched him go in.

"This should be good." Julian said as he, Santo and Brian walked up and joined them. They were pretty pissed off about what had happened to Josh and they'd come to town to blow off some steam. Julian was still humiliated by what had happened with Noriko the day before and seeing Mike get beaten up was too good to miss.

"Yeah, I got twenty bucks says Wrath doesn't last a minute with Wolverine." Santo said derisively as Brian and Julian laughed. David and Victor both gave them disgusted looks, Julian was a spoiled rich brat, Santo was thoughtless and Brian was just a jerk.

"I have to stop this." Noriko said as she started after them.

"Give 'em a chance to work it out." Phoebe said as she stopped her.

"No, I think she's right; this is going to end badly." David said.

**To Be Continued…**

 


	6. Dreams End - Part II

Disclaimer: Marvel owns everything here except Wrath.

A/N: An alternate version of the X-Men and X-Force from Earth 730.

Apocalypse has been defeated, but the Millennium War has cost the X-Men dearly.  With the Xavier Institute reduced to ashes and only two surviving psychics, the X-Men have been forced to relocate to the X-Force base in Dallas Texas. Headmistress Storm is preparing to open a new school for young mutants in the hope of salvaging Xavier’s dream and uniting the teams, but the growing conflict between Cannonball’s X-Force and Cyclops’ X-Men has put the future in jeopardy.

**Previously**

Laura was seriously injured saving RIGHT's hostages from the sentinels and Sam was desperate to save her. He was out of options and tried to make a deal with X-Force nemesis Spiral to teleport her to the school. Mike was consumed by guilt and he interfered in Sam's plan, placing himself in Spiral's debt. Spiral fulfilled her part of the bargain and teleported both Laura and Xian back to the school for badly needed medical attention.

Laura was saved by the Class 5 healer, Josh Foley, but he passed out from over-exerting his powers. With Josh unconscious, Dr. Reyes was left with no alternative but to amputate Xian's injured leg and fit her for a prosthesis. Josh's injury sent Danielle over the edge and she lashed out at Rahne, who was already an emotional wreck after the battle. Ororo finally confronted Danielle about her recent behavior and forced her to admit that she needed help.

The X-Men were forced to concede that X-Force had been right all along about Trask Industries, and the NIMROD project. Sam and Theresa discovered a frightening new plot, but it remains to be seen if they can work together with Scott and Ororo to stop the new threat. Meanwhile, some of the students went to Lakeside Coffee to talk things over while Mike made a poor decision and went to the Marina Bar to drown his guilt in vodka. News of Laura's injury sent Logan racing home, setting the stage for a dangerous confrontation with Mike.

This Issue:

X-Force: Sam Guthrie-Cannonball, Tabitha Smith-Boomer, Rahne MacTaggert-Wolfsbane, Theresa Cassidy-Siryn, James Proudstar-Warpath, Michael Holmes-Wrath

X-Men: James Howlett-Wolverine, Scott Summers-Cyclops, Ororo Munro-Storm, Kitty Pryde-Shadow Cat

Students: Laura Kenny-X-23, Cessily Kincaid-Mercury, Josh Foley-Elixir, David Alleyne-Prodigy, Mark Sheppard, Callie Beto, Santos Vaccaro-Rockslide, Julian Keller-Hellion, Noriko Ashida-Surge, Megan Gwynn-Pixie, Brain Cruz-Tag, Sophie, Phoebe & Celeste Frost

Faculty Members: Sharon Friedlander

**X-Men - Guardians #** **6: Dreams End – Part II**

**The Marina Bar**

"Mike!" Logan yelled as he burst through the door and confronted him.

"Damn it…." Mike muttered. He took another drink and got up to talk to him, but Logan was in no mood to talk.

"Logan, listen I…"

"You son of a bitch!" Logan yelled as he walked up and slammed his fist into Mike's face so hard he almost knocked him down. "You know what she's been through, but you used her just like those bastards that made her!" He yelled as Mike recovered and glared at him. "I brought her here to have a life and I'm not gonna let you and X-Force take it away from her!" He roared as Mike hauled off and hit him as hard as he could, sending him crashing through a nearby table.

"I’m callin’ the cops!" Jake yelled as he ducked behind the bar and frantically dialed 911.

"Where th' hell do you get off actin' like father of th' year?!" Mike yelled as he spat out blood. "You didn’t give a damn about her th’ day I called you to come get her!" He yelled. "Where were you then?! What was more important than Laura?!" He screamed.  He was drunk and so angry now that any thought he had of stopping this fight was gone. He didn’t care that he couldn’t beat Logan, he just wanted to hurt him.

"Damn you…" Logan growled as he got his feet and popped his claws flew at Mike like a wild animal. Mike was too drunk to use his telepathy to its full potential, but it was more than enough to seriously weaken Logan. Mike was faster, but Logan was stronger and he could fight all day if he had too so Mike needed every advantage he could get.

“What happened to her after she ran?! What are you so ashamed of?!” Mike yelled as he tore into Logan’s mind.  Logan dropped to his knees in agony as Mike turned his guilt and shame against him and rammed his knee into his face knocking him across the floor.

“Bastard!” Logan yelled as he leaped to his feet and slashed at Mike ripping a table and chairs to pieces. Mike hit him with a psi-blast; slammed his fist into his face and began beating him mercilessly. Logan's adamantium skeleton and healing factor saved him from Mike's vicious blows and he struck back, slicing him in the side with his claws. Logan came after him again as he roared in rage, but Mike whirled and kicked him across the room into the wall. He didn’t have Logan’s hundred years of experience, but his skill was still extraordinary and he wasn’t holding anything back. Logan got to his feet and managed to jump out of the way just in time as Mike charged and slammed his boot through the wall where he'd been standing. They flew at each other again and tore the place apart in a vicious brawl. Mike was giving Logan a beating, but he was too drunk to evade all of his attacks in such a confined area.

Mike yelled in pain as Logan slashed him in the upper arm and slammed him face first through a table. He’d already been cut twice and he needed to knock Logan out quickly before he lost too much blood. Mike scrambled away and dragged himself to his feet as Logan roared in rage and came at him again. Mike was ready for him and hit him with another psi-blast as he slammed a kick into the side of his face, knocking him into the wall again. The force of the blow nearly decapitated him, but he was almost impossible to stop and Mike didn't let up his assault for a second. His fist was smashing into Logan's skull like a jack hammer and it looked like he might  _actually_  have the upper hand on him. He was beginning to sober up from the pain and he knew what he was doing was wrong, but he kept hitting him.

"Laura  **asked**  to come with us!" He yelled as he buried his fist in his gut. "She doesn't know how to be normal! Can't you see she's miserable?!" Mike yelled as he snatched Logan up and hurled him through the window, out into the parking lot. When he'd been in Laura's mind he'd felt her pain and her guilt; she felt like a monster and she hated her life. Saving those kids had given her a purpose and she wanted to live again.

"What the hell?!" Santo exclaimed as Logan landed in the parking lot amidst a shower of glass and debris.

"Shit just got real." Brian said. Logan staggered to his feet as Mike stumbled out the door ready to fight some more. Logan was a bloody mess, but like Mike, he was just too angry and hurt to stop fighting and hurt to stop fighting and he lunged at Mike, slashing him across the chest and spraying blood everywhere.

"Stay down!" Logan yelled as Mike staggered backward and dropped to one knee as the pain of his injuries finally overwhelmed him. He had absolutely beaten the hell out of Logan, but this fight was over. Logan’s injuries were almost healed, but Mike was still bleeding badly and he was barely conscious.

"Go to hell." Mike choked out as he tried to stand.

Noriko couldn't stand to see anymore, she thought Logan was going to kill Mike and she wasn't just going to stand and watch. This fight was pointless; it certainly wasn't helping Laura and she was going to put an end to it. She could channel the electrical energy she absorbed into devastating blasts or burst of superhuman speed and time seemed to slow down for her as she raced across the street into the battle.

"Stop it!" Noriko screamed as she ran in and slammed her fist into Mike's jaw. She was only 5'4" and barely 100lbs but she packed an incredible punch at that speed and she sent Mike crashing to the ground. She whirled before Logan had time to react and blasted him across the parking lot with every bit of power she had left.  She was mad at Mike, but she was furious with Logan; he could have killed him.

"Help her before they kill each other!" Julian ordered as he and the others went to help her separate them. He'd wanted to see Mike get beaten up and humiliated, but he never dreamed he'd be able to manhandle Logan like that, or that either of them would go so far. He'd just gotten a healthy dose of reality and he didn't think it was funny anymore. Fortunately, Noriko had gotten their attention and they weren't about to endanger the kids with their pointless fight.

"Put me down Keller! It's over!" Logan snapped as Julian held him in the air with his telekinesis.

"It's ok Nori, we’re done." Mike said as she knelt down beside him to keep him from getting up. He could see how disappointed in him she was and he was really ashamed of everything he'd done. Logan had attacked him, but he shouldn't have let his emotions get out of control like that; if it was anyone but Logan they’d be dead now. He knew Noriko and the other kids must think he was some kind of monster now and they were right.

"What's wrong with you?!" She yelled. "You two act like animals! Is  **this**  who you really are?!" She asked as a tear ran down her cheek.

"No…" Mike said as he sat up and looked into her eyes.

"I want to believe that." She said. "But you're scaring me; you need help." She told him. He felt like he'd been hit with a sledgehammer; he cared about Noriko and wanted to help her, but he could see the fear in her eyes now. He'd known he wasn't himself for a while, but he hadn't been able to admit how far he'd fallen until now. He was probably the fist adult Noriko had trusted since she was thirteen, but now he'd let her down too.

"I'm sorry." He said, trying to control his emotions. "I didn't mean to hurt you…you trusted me and I…" He couldn't finish, he was suddenly wracked with pain and nausea from his injuries.

"Mike?! Oh…Oh crap! David!" She yelled as Mike turned away and vomited. He was starting to turn really pale and it was obvious he was in terrible pain. His body was already stressed from drinking too much and he’d lost a lot of blood from this injuries.

"I'll be alright…" He grunted.

"No you won't; you’re going into shock." David said as he ripped open Mike's shirt and examined the wounds. "We need to get him back to the Medical Bay! Help me get him in the car!" He yelled as Logan helped Mike into the passenger seat of his car and Noriko got in with him.

"Can you drive a stick kid?" Logan asked as David jumped into the driver's seat.

"I can today!" He said as he slammed the door and gunned the engine, roaring out of the parking lot toward the school. He'd never driven anything as powerful as the Boss, but his power was to copy the skills and knowledge of people near him so he had no problem driving it even with the supercharged engine.

"That's going on YouTube." Santo snickered as Logan watched them drive away. Logan was pretty ashamed of himself as well for fighting in front of the kids. Nobody won that fight; it was pointless and he wasn't in the mood for Santo's stupid comments.

"Go home,  **now**." Logan said sternly as they left and he went to settle things with Jake. That fight should never have happened and it shouldn't have taken a sixteen year old girl to make them both see reason. They hadn't liked each other for years, but there had always been a grudging respect between the two of them. However, they both cared so deeply about Laura that they had acted on raw emotion and given in to their baser instincts.

**Meanwhile in the Briefing Room**

"You know; if Cypher can't hack the Mark I's A.I. then this going to be a suicide mission." Scott said. Sam's plan looked good on paper, but it was the execution that concerned him and after their near miss earlier in the day, he was less confident in Sam's leadership. They still didn't know where they were going or exactly what they would face when they got there.

"Cypher's never let us down before, if he says he can do it, then he can do it." Sam said in an irritated tone. He was tired of Scott questioning his plan and his team; Cypher might be a criminal, but so was Emma and Sam was tired of the double standard.

"Ok Sam. I trust you." Scott told him

"I appreciate that." Sam said. "I know after what happened with Laura and Josh that has to be hard for both of ya." He said. "There's nothing I can say that will make this right." He said, turning to Ororo. "I took one of your students and now another ones in a coma because of it. I'd take Josh's place if I could, but all I can do is take responsibility." He told her. "I don't have th' right t' ask ya this, but if yer're lookin' fer someone t' blame, then blame me, don't fire Rahne or hold th' others responsible…it was ma decision."

"Is that your idea of an apology?" Scott asked.

"I'm not about t' apologize to  ** _you_**  fer anything I've done." Sam said emphatically. "I was tryin' t' give Laura a purpose again." He said.

"By using her as a weapon?!" Scott asked incredulously.

"I didn't use Laura as a weapon!" Sam shot back. "I let her make a decision about what she wants to do with her life!" He said. "Ya'll have never given her a choice in anything! Ya'll just order her around like th' Facility did!"

"We're trying to rehabilitate her." Ororo explained, although she could see that Sam might have a point.

"She's miserable, she doesn't have a reason to live anymore and it's killin' her." Sam said.

"She wants to help people to try to make up for all the terrible things she was forced to do." Theresa said. "Ye won't let her help ye so she came to us." Theresa explained.

"She couldn't stand th' thought of those kids being tortured th' way she was and I had too much respect fer her right then t' tell her no." Sam said. "She's not a monster; she didn't come with us t' kill people, she came to save those kids." He said.

"I know why she asked to accompany you and I respect her decision. I know your heart was in the right place Sam and I know you want to help Laura, but the fact remains you took her without my permission." Ororo said sternly. "We're not training the next generation of soldiers; we're staying true to the professor's dream."

"Don't lecture me about th' dream, we've bled and we've died fer th' dream!" Sam said angrily. "We're done dreamin'! We're awake and we're fightin' fer our right t' exist! We're fightin' so these kids don't have t' grow up th' way we did!" He yelled as years of anger and frustration boiled over. "This place would be ashes right now if it wasn't fer us, so I’m through givin' a damn if our methods offend ya'll!" He yelled. "We're not always proud of what we do, but we realized a long time ago that th' world ain't black and white and sometimes we have t' get dirty t' protect our freedom and give these kids th' life they deserve." He said as he stared across the table at both of them with grim resolve.

"Sam, we have to be better than they are." Scott said.

"Shut up Scott." Sam said coldly. "We protect this place and defend th' innocent. We don't play by  ** _their_**  rules, but we're not murderers and we're not terrorists." He said.

"Don't act like ye're so much better than we are." Theresa said angrily. "Ye've killed when ye had to, ye've overthrown governments, ye've even teamed with th' bloody Brotherhood when it suited ye." She reminded them.

"Things are different now." Ororo reminded her.

"Yeah, th' worlds gone  _completely_  to hell now because of th' war." Theresa said. "We get it Ro; we know how bad things are out there. People are scared of mutants and they're scared of the school." She said. "So ye want to be superheroes again and show the world we're not monsters. Great, but while ye're flying around in yer fancy costumes, trying to outscore th' Avengers, th' Reavers are nailing kids to crosses, a psychopath was planning to burn the school and Trask is carving kids up like guinea pigs." She told them. "Like I said, th' worlds gone completely to hell and it's time ye let us do wha' has to be done to keep this place safe…wha'  **ye**  don’t want to be seen doing."

"Do you realize what you're asking?" Ororo asked her.

"Yes and I wish there was another way." Theresa replied.

"So do I, but it's not fair to those kids not to do everything in our power to protect them." Sam said. "Schools shouldn't have graveyards!  How many more are gonna end up there with Illyana?!" He asked angrily. "If ya'll wanna die fer th' professor's principles then that's yer choice, but don't force these kids to pay fer yer idealism." He told them.

"Ye could have stopped Pierce before he tortured Rahne and Roberto, ye could have stopped Stryker before he took Dani's powers and ye could have stopped Hodge before he got to these kids." Theresa told them. "We're not willing to wait fer them to come after us; fer these kids to die before we act. We're taking them down first." She said coldly. Their words cut to the bone and both Ororo and Scott felt a deep sense of regret for all that the New Mutants had endured. Everything they'd said was true and while she couldn't agree with everything they'd done; she knew they were right about the children and something had to be done. Ororo sighed as she leaned back in her chair and looked across the table at Scott; he didn't seem nearly as confident in his position as he had earlier. They both felt dirty, like they were betraying the professor, but Sam and Theresa lived with this feeling everyday and with the revelation of the sentinels, it was time for action.

"Take Scott's team with you and end this madness." Ororo said, breaking the long silence. "I don't know that we can find a way to coexist Sam, but I'm willing to try; we’ll talk again after the mission." She said.

"That's all I can ask fer." Sam said.

"Is your team going to be ready?" Scott asked.

"Ma team can handle anything." Sam said. "You need to be concerned with yer own people. I don't want you bringin' some ego-maniac like M whose gonna cause trouble, we need th' best on this one."

"I can handle M, you just keep Mike in line. He doesn't seem to play well with others." Scott told him.

"Maybe if ya'll didn't treat him like…."

"Logan and Mike just got in a fight!" Kitty interrupted as she phased through the door. They all headed out to deal with this latest crisis and Ororo prayed that this wasn't a harbinger of things to come between the two teams. Scott and Sam went to deal with the situation at the bar while Ororo and Theresa checked on Mike and talked with Noriko and David.

**Medical** **Bay**

**Intensive Care Unit**

**-Two Hour Later-**

"Ugh…damn it." Mike groaned as waked and found himself inside one of the Shiar healing pods again. His body still ached even though the machine had completely healed his wounds and purged the alcohol from his blood. He was completely sober now and thoroughly disgusted with himself for the way he'd acted.  He didn't know what he was going to say to Sam or Rahne and he wouldn't blame Sam if he fired him.

"You healed a lot quicker than we thought you would." Sharon said as she pulled back one of the curtains surrounding his pod. There was a sudden hiss of air as the pod opened and he sat up, still a little groggy.

"I brought you some clothes." She said as she handed him some hospital scrubs to wear. The pod's dermal regenerators wouldn't work if a patient was clothed, so everyone had to go in naked.

Sharon was relieved to see that his wounds hadn't left scars this time thanks to the Shiar equipment. He had enough already from years of fighting, being tortured by Mikhail and being attacked by Laura. He healed more quickly than other baselines, but he didn't have a _healing factor_ like Logan, Laura and Rahne. He still needed days to heal wounds and he still took weeks or even months to recover from serious injuries.

"Thanks." Mike said as he got up and dressed while Sharon examined the data from the pod. Hank had asked her to set the Shiar equipment to thoroughly analyze Mike's DNA to aid his research into the origins of the Peak Humans.  More and more of them were being born each year, but no one had been able to determine why as of yet.  Hank had a theory, but he was reluctant to share it, especially if he was right.

"How are you feeling?" Sharon asked as she finished the download.

"Like an asshole." Mike told her.

"Good." Sharon replied. "Rahne and Noriko have been worried about you." She said.

"Where are they?" He asked.

"Outside, but Dr. McCoy wants to run some more tests on you." She said.

"He can wait." Mike said as he pushed the other curtain aside and locked eyes with Logan. "How is she?" He asked as he walked over and looked into the pod at Laura. Logan had been by her side since he'd returned and she was still sleeping peacefully as she recovered.

"Beast says she's fine, she just needs to rest." Logan said as he got up. "Look Mike, I still want to rip your heart out for letting her go, but thanks for making that deal with Spiral to save her." He told him.

"I didn't want her to go either Logan, but it was important to her." He said quietly. "In spite of everything they did to make her a monster, she's not and she proved it today."

"Yeah, she did." He said as he looked down at Laura. "Do you need help with Spiral?" He asked after a moment.

"It's my fight." Mike said bluntly. "Whatever happens it's worth it; I'll go to hell before I fail Laura again." He told him.

"We all failed her…everyone in her whole life except that family who took her in." Logan said.

"They’re good people." Mike said.

"Did you mean what you said about Laura being miserable this whole time?" Logan asked.

"I meant  _everything_  I said." Mike told him. "And I regret  _some_  of it." He added.

" _Some?_ " Logan asked sarcastically.

"Yeah,  _some_." Mike said angrily. "Laura  **is**  miserable, she feels guilty, she hates her life and she thinks she's a monster." He said. "I wish she could be like all th' other kids here, but she just doesn't know how. Savin' those kids made her want to live again; it gave her hope fer once in her life." He explained.

"What do you know?!" Logan snapped.

"I went in her mind to t' try t' turn off her pain receptors. I couldn't fight through all her pain and guilt, but I could feel everything she was feelin'." Mike told him. He turned away for a moment and took a deep breath as he tried to get control of his emotions again. As strong and hard as Mike was he felt like he was going to throw up thinking about it and nothing could dull the pain and sorrow he felt for Laura. Dr. Rice tortured Laura to make her attack when exposed to "trigger scent," he'd tortured her to trigger her mutation early and he hadn't sedated her when he'd removed her claws to bond them with adamantium. The man was pure evil and there was no end to his cruelty; he'd made her kill her puppy when she was seven, he'd taken away her identity, her dignity, her innocence and her hope.

"Mike?"

"That bastard Rice tortured her worse than Mikhail tortured me!" He said angrily. "I've seen evil Logan. I've seen th' devil himself, but this is so sick it hurts to think about it; I feel like I'm suffocating." He said. "We were Avengers damn it! We were supposed to stop shit like this!” He yelled. “Why didn't we know?! Why didn't we stop it?!" He asked angrily. "We let those godless sons of bitches destroy th' life of an innocent child!" Mike said with contempt.

"Yeah, we did…and I don't want her involved in this. I want her to have a real life." Logan said as Mike looked into the pod at Laura.

"Give her a choice; fer th' first time in her life give her a choice." Mike said. "Give her th' chance to be th' hero she's wants t' be; let her fight with th' X-Men." He said. Laura wanted to make amends for her past by using her life to help others and she finally had a future to look forward too.

"She doesn't know what she wants!" Logan snapped.

"She wants to help people!" Mike said. "Why can't you respect her decision?!"

"Don't tell me how to be her father!" Logan said angrily as he turned to Mike.

"Then  **be**  her father!" Mike said as he stood his ground and they glared at each other again. Logan was really angry, but deep down he knew Mike was right; he wasn't a good father to Laura. She was jealous and hurt that he spent more time with Jubilee than he did with her and Ororo had admonished him for it.

"I don't know what's going on between you two, but you both need to let it go." Sharon said. "Your love for Laura should bring you together, not tear you apart. She has enough pain and misery in her life already without you two fighting over her like this." She told them.

"Laura is  ** _my_**  responsibility." Logan said gruffly.

"This isn't about  **you**." Mike said in a disgusted tone as he turned and walked away.

**Main** **Medical** **Bay**

"Thank ye fer taking care of him." Rahne said as Noriko finished telling her what had happened. She was hurt that he hadn't come to check on her and she was disappointed in his behavior even though Logan had started the fight. Noriko didn't like seeing Rahne so upset and she was angry at Mike for making her worry about him. Rahne had been so kind to her and she wished there was something more she could do to help her feel better, but she really had no clue what she was going through. Her cuts and bruises still hadn't completely healed and she was exhausted from her transformation, but she wanted to be sure Mike was going to be alright.

"He's a complete idiot, but he's all I’ve got." Noriko said. "I don't know what's wrong with him. Yesterday he was the nicest guy ever, but today…I've never seen anything like that; I thought they were going to kill each other." She admitted.

"Ah'll nae try tae defend wha' he did, but Ah do understand it." Rahne told her. "Tha's wha' this life can do tae ye Noriko. If ye see as much pain and violence as we have ye get angry and ye start tae fergit who ye are; even why yer're fightin' and soon th' fight's all ye have left." She sighed. Noriko knew Rahne was right, but it was still hard to accept that someone who had been so kind to her could have so much anger in them as well. She heard the automatic doors open and she looked up as Mike stepped out of the intensive care unit.

"I'm sorry Rahne." He said as she walked up to him and the pair embraced. "There's no excuse fer what I did. I was stupid, weak and selfish, but if you give me another chance, I'll always put you first and I'll never do anything to make you ashamed of me again." He said.

"Ah fergive ye; Ah acted like an animal today too." She said as they held each other.

"You didn't have a choice; Hodge might have killed us if you hadn't stopped him when you did." He told her as he looked into her eyes. He could see how upset she was and he felt even more terrible for not checking on her when he'd gotten back. He realized she had the same fears and doubts that he did and he felt like a fool for not being more sensitive to her.

"Ah could have hurt ye." She said, remembering how she'd snapped at him.

"I  ** _did_**  hurt you." He said as he held her close. “I have never been more ashamed than I am right now and I’m sorry.” He told her.

"You should be." Noriko said bluntly as she got up to leave. "She's been down here the whole time  _you_  were asleep." She told him.

"I'm sorry I hurt you too Noriko." He said despondently.

"It's ok, I got to punch you in the face for it, so we're even." She told him. Mike nodded as she left and went back upstairs to her room. He wanted to be better for Rahne, but the wanted to be better for Noriko as well and he really felt bad that he'd let them down like this.

"Rahne, we need t' talk." He said as they left the medical bay.

"We do." She agreed. "But first ye need a shower; ye smell like haggis and a night full of bad decisions." She said as she followed him to his room.

**The East Wing**

**-Sam and Tabitha's Room-**

"I'm not any better than Cable." Sam sighed as he sat down on the edge of the bed beside Tabitha. She sat up, wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder as he reached down and held her hand. It wasn't often that Sam doubted himself, but she was always there for him when his confidence was shaken. She knew he still felt terrible about what had happened to Laura and he was worried about Mike as well. That fight proved just how badly he needed help and Sam felt guilty about sending him on the mission in the shape he was in.

"That's not true and you know it; don't do this to yourself." She said as she held him close.

"I'm driving ya'll too hard. Ah don't want th' rest of ya'll t' end up like Mike." He said despondently.

"You didn't break Mike." She said emphatically.

"No, but I'm sending him out even though I know he's broken." Sam said, remembering how Cable had treated Rahne during the war. He told them that the mission always came first and that defeating Apocalypse was worth it, whatever the cost.

"Mike _chose_ to join the team, you didn’t force him." Tabitha reminded him.

"That doesn't give me th' right to take away what humanity he's got left." Sam told her.

"You're a good leader Sam, but more than that, you're a good man and that's why I love you." Tabitha said gently. "I know how important we all are to you, but ultimately it has to be Mike's decision to get help." She said. "I think after what happened; he'll do it. He believes in the team and he cares about Rahne. You just need to make sure he knows you still believe in him." She told him. Sam turned and kissed her, grateful for her love and understanding. The mission could end the sentinel threat for good, but it was more dangerous than anything they'd done since the war and the burden of leadership had never felt heavier.

**The East Wing**

**-James' Room-**

"Terry, you need to stop beating yourself up over this." James said as she lay beside him in bed, her head resting against his chest. The ambush and Rahne's monstrous transformation had dredged up a particularly bad memory from the war for Theresa and she was feeling guilty.

"I'm alright." She said curtly.

"No you're not; I've seen that look before." He told her. "What happened to Rahne today wasn't your fault and I don't want to see you do this to yourself again." James said.

**Two Years Earlier**

**The Ruins of Lower Manhattan**

**-South of the 34 th Street Line-**

" _Cable! We need evac now!"_  Siryn yelled into the radio.  _"It's a bloody trap! Shatterstar and Sunspot are both down and we're surrounded!"_  She yelled. They'd received intel that some of the captured X-Men and Avengers were being held in the area on their way to the  **Pens**. With Cable injured, Domino missing and Sam and James on a secret mission to locate the psimatar Theresa had led X-Force to rescue the captured heroes. They'd discovered too late that they'd walked into a trap and they were attacked by a group of Morlocks loyal to Apocalypse and led by Archangel.

" _The teleporter is still recharging!"_  Cable told her.  _"You're on your own Terry! You've got to hold out!"_  Cable ordered.

"We're on our own!" Siryn said to the others as the grim reality of their situation hit home. They were all scared, but they refused to give in to fear and they looked to her for leadership. She'd never allow herself or any of her teammates to be captured by Apocalypse again and she swore to herself that no matter what it took  _they_  were going to get out of this even if it meant she didn't.

"Rahne! Get Star and Bobby into cover! Patch 'em up and stay with 'em!" She ordered. They'd both been poisoned by Archangel's steel feathers and without Wolfsbane's intervention they wouldn't make it.

"Ric! Knock those buildings down to keep the Infinites from overrunning us! We're too exposed here!" She ordered as Rictor tried to focus on the enemy and not how hopeless their situation was. He began to level the buildings, building a defensive perimeter to help defend against attacks.

"Tabby! Ye, Ric and Allison have to stop Marrow and Caliban; I'll take care of Angel!" She ordered as they charged into battle. Magma engulfed Marrow in flames as she unleashed a flurry of razor sharp bone shards at the trio. Magma's flames incinerated the shards before they could impale Boomer and Rictor who were fighting for their lives against a supercharged Caliban.

"Bitch…" Marrow gasped. "It'll take a lot more than that." She said as her burned flesh began to regenerate. She'd been supercharged as well and her healing factor was now more than capable of repairing even the most serious injuries.

"That enough?" Magma asked as the ground beneath Marrow's feet erupted, consuming her in blazing molten rock from the earth's interior. Marrow had made her choice and Magma couldn't afford to show her any mercy; she had to help her teammates before Caliban tore them apart.

Caliban roared like a wild beast as Boomer blasted him with a searing hot stream of raw plasma. Caliban was horribly wounded, but he was far from finished and he flew at Boomer in a murderous rage. Boomer hurled another bomb at him, but he caught her with a glancing blow, shattering her jaw and knocking her out cold. Rictor attacked him again, trying to save her, but Caliban was still too much for him and if not for Magma's last second intervention, he would have killed them both.

"Get back!" Magma yelled, unleashing a hellish blast of flame onto Caliban as he lunged for Rictor. The sickening stench of burning hair and flesh filled the air as Caliban was engulfed in flames. Rictor fell on top of Boomer to shield her as Caliban crashed into the rubble screaming and thrashing around to extinguish the flames. Magma flew at him in a rage, desperate to save her friends.

"I'll kill you!" She yelled as she hurled more fireballs at the supercharged hound of Apocalypse. Magma launched herself at full speed and slammed her flaming fist into Caliban's face as he turned to attack her. She shattered his cheek bone and blinded him in one eye as she sent him crashing into the rubble again. He'd already been seriously wounded by Boomer and Magma's savage onslaught was too much, even for him. Caliban scrambled to his feet and ran for nearby entrance to the subway, desperate to escape from Magma.

"Monster!" Magma screamed as she hurled more fireballs at him. Most of the Morlocks had abandoned Calisto to serve Apocalypse and they'd turned on their fellow mutants, dragging them away to Mr. Sinister's labs for his cruel experiments. She would have died in those labs if X-Force hadn't saved her during their escape and she hated Sinister and the Morlocks.

"Yeah, you better run." Rictor wheezed, clutching his broken ribs. He was seriously injured and the searing pain in his side was almost unbearable, but at least he and Boomer were alive.

"You OK?" He asked, turning his attention to Boomer.

"He bwoke muh chaw." She whimpered as she forced herself to get to her feet. She was in horrible pain, but she wasn't about to give up. They still had Archangel to deal with and she knew the whole area would be swarming with Infinites soon.

"Don't try to talk." Magma said as she helped Rictor to his feet. Boomer's injury was painful, but it wasn't nearly as serious as Rictor's. He was already coughing up blood and Magma was really worried about him.

"You do realize  _who_  you're talking too right?" Rictor joked as Boomer flipped both of them off.

"Stop screwing around! We've got company!" Magma said as the Infinity soldiers opened fire on them. She got her injured friends behind cover, but they were surrounded and if Cable didn't get that teleporter working soon, they were done for. Meanwhile Siryn had managed to singlehandedly hold off Archangel and save her friends, but she'd almost worn out her voice fighting him. She'd managed to trap him by blasting him into a building that collapsed on him, but she knew that wouldn't hold him for long and now they had an army of Infinites to contend with.

"I'm not letting 'em take me alive." Rictor gasped as he tried to get to his feet, only to be stopped by Wolfsbane.

"We're not giving up and dying!" Siryn yelled at him. "We're getting out of here! Do you get me soldier?!" She yelled.

"I get you." Rictor said as he sat back down to let Wolfsbane treat him. He still thought it was hopeless, but Siryn's resolve gave him the courage to keep fighting for his friends.

"Ric, stay back and protect Star and Bobby; ye're not in any shape to fight now." Siryn ordered. "Boomer, I know ye're hurt, but I need ye to help me and Allie hold these bastards off a little longer." She said. "Rahne, I need ye to get up in that building and deal with that sniper. I don't have any voice left, I can't fly." She said.

She'd wanted to keep Wolfsbane out of the fight if at all possible. She'd been trapped in her hybrid form for months now and the constant stress of battle and fighting to control her feral instincts had pushed her to the breaking point. The last thing Siryn needed was for her to snap and change into her monster form. She couldn't control herself when she was like that and she was strong enough to could kill all of them.

" _I've got the snipers, you guys just worry about staying alive until Cable can teleport us out of this hell hole."_  A familiar voice said over the radio.

" _Domino?!"_  Siryn gasped.

" _What's left of me."_  She answered.  _"Terry, I know things are bad right now, but you're doing fine. Keep fighting, bring our people home."_  She told her.

"Ok, let's take 'em out!" Siryn ordered as they broke cover. "Rahne, stay here!" She said as Domino shot the sniper between the eyes and quickly took aim at another. Domino had taken cover in a burned out building behind their position so she could cover them until they could bodyslide again. She knew Theresa was capable, but she had to admit even she was impressed as she watched her team tear thorough the Infinites.

" _Terry! Behind you!"_  Domino yelled as she saw Feral creeping up on her. She tried to shoot, but her rifle was out of ammunition and there was nothing she could do to save Siryn as Feral savagely attacked her. Feral's powers had been supercharged by Mr. Sinister as well and there was no way Siryn could stop her after the beating she'd taken from Archangel. Feral tore into Siryn with her razor sharp claws and slammed her into the rubble so hard she nearly knocked her unconscious.

"Time to die Irish bitch." Feral snarled as she snatched her up from behind by her hair and put her claws to her throat.

"Get away from her!" Wolfsbane yelled as she leaped onto Feral's back, clawing and biting her. Feral shrieked in pain and dropped Siryn as she snatched Wolfsbane off her and hurled her to the ground. Wolfsbane tore into her again, but she was no match for Feral now that her powers had been supercharged by Mr. Sinister and she was quickly defeated.

"Don't worry Rahne, I didn't forget about  _you_." Feral snarled as she stood over the badly beaten and bleeding werewolf. "I'm just saving you for last." She said darkly. It wasn't enough for her to kill Rahne; she wanted to make her suffer by watching her friends die first.

"Terry…no…" Wolfsbane choked out as she watched Feral snatch Siryn up by her hair again.

"I'm going to enjoy this." Feral hissed, her hot breath stinging Siryn's eyes. "ARRGGHH!" Feral screamed as Wolfsbane rammed her claws through her back, splattering blood all over Siryn as she fell to the ground. Siryn stared up in horror as Wolfsbane ripped Feral apart in front of her. Rahne had vowed that she would never lose another friend and in her desperation to save Siryn, she'd unleashed her full power.

" _Cable! Bodyslide by eight! Get us the hell out of here!"_  Domino yelled as Archangel burst out of the rubble and prepared to rain death upon them.

**Weapon X Facility**

**-Several Hours Later-**

"What the hell happened out there Domino?" Scott asked tersely as Logan poured her another shot of whiskey. Cable had wisely teleported them to the X-Men's base for badly needed medical attention, but after what had happened to Rahne, the X-Men wanted answers.

"Archangel set a trap for them." Neena said as she downed the shot and motioned for another. "Now, how are they?" She asked as she cut her eyes up toward Scott, giving him a disdainful look.

"Allison was asleep when I checked on them." Scott said. "Shatterstar and Roberto are both stable now; Hank said Rahne saved their lives." He told her.

"How  _is_  Rahne?" Neena asked.

"She's a complete wreck!" Scott said angrily. "Jean brought her back to her senses, but she ended up having to sedate her so she could wash the blood off her." He said. Rahne had never killed anyone before and she was inconsolable once she realized what she'd done. Jean was busy giving her some intensive psychic therapy while she slept, but Rahne was still going to have to learn to live with what she'd done.

"What about the others?" Neena asked after another shot and a moments silence.

"Richter has four broken ribs and a fractured arm." He told her. "Fortunately, Hank has been working on a tissue regenerator so he should be up and around in two or three days." Scott explained. "Same goes for Tabitha; he had to wire her jaw shut, so enjoy the silence while you can." He said sarcastically.

"Where's Terry?" Neena asked.

"Still in the shower; I don't know who's in worse shape, her or Rahne." Scott answered. Scott had seen a lot of awful things in his time, but the sight of Theresa and Rahne drenched in blood was something he would never be able to forget.

**Weapon X Facility – Living Quarters**

Theresa sighed as she leaned against the table, staring blankly at the half empty bottle of whiskey in front of her. She took another drink, trying in vain to banish the memory of Rahne standing over Feral's body, soaked in her blood. Rahne was the sweetest, most innocent person she had ever known, but now she was a killer and it was all her fault. She'd failed Rahne, she'd failed everyone and she began to cry as she thought about them all lying in the medical bay.

"Terry, this isn't your fault." Neena said as she walked in and leaned against the doorframe. Theresa looked terrible; she was badly bruised and cut all over from her battles with Archangel and Feral, but it was her mental state that really concerned Neena. "You were out numbered and out gunned, but you still brought everyone home alive." She said, trying to offer her some peace of mind.

"Shut up." Theresa said as she wiped her eyes and took another drink. "They're not toy soldiers to  **me**! They're me friends, they're me family." She told her. "Everybody's hurt; Rahne's scarred fer life and ye think I'm supposed to feel good about that?!" She asked incredulously.

"Terry…"

"Get out." Theresa said emphatically.

"Drinking to forget never works. I'm here when you're ready." Neena said as she closed the door. She didn't blame Theresa for being angry with her; especially after what had happened to Rahne. She thought Cable was wrong to keep sending Rahne back out in the state she was in, but she hadn't stood up to him. Now it was too late, Rahne had been pushed too far and she'd finally snapped, but it was Theresa who was left to pick up the pieces.

**The Present**

"Ok, yer're right. I'm  **really**  worried about Rahne." Theresa sighed. "She nearly lost it today. She needs to stick to teaching; being a soldier never suited her."

"I can't argue with that, but she saved the team and there's no way you could have kept her off the mission once she found out Hodge kidnapped those kids." James told her.

"I know…and I know she's strong, but I can't help but worry fer her." Theresa said. "Ye saw how shaken up she was; and now this thing with Mike." She sighed. "What if he snaps like that again? What if he hurts her?" She asked.

"He won't." James said emphatically.

"Yer're sure?" She asked incredulously.

"You remember when I first came here and everybody said I was trouble and you shouldn't get involved with me?" He asked.

"Yeah." She said quietly.

"Why did you?" He asked.

"Because I knew how lost and hurt ye were; because I'd lost everyone I ever loved and I knew just how ye felt." She said as she brushed away a tear. "I saw how ye watched out fer the others, even when they were hateful to ye. I knew that under all that anger ye had a good heart." She said. "Ye're the only one in me whole messed up life who never walked out on me when things got rough." She told him. When her drinking had made her angry and hateful and even Rahne was at her wits end, James stood by her and he'd finally helped her overcome her addiction.

"I'd probably be dead right now if it wasn't for you." He admitted. "You helped me as much as I helped you. Mike and Rahne will work things out too if everyone will just back off and leave them alone." He said.

"Yer're right; I need to try to help him instead of judging him like a hypocrite. I know how he feels right now." She said.

"Terry, I don’t think you do and I think you should let Rahne handle it." James said. "Mike probably won't even talk to you; he's not exactly great at sharing his feelings." He told her.

"I'm not trying to pry. I just want him to know he's not alone." She said.

"No, he’s not, he’s got Rahne and you've got enough to deal with already without his problems." James said.

Ye  _always_  do this." She huffed.

"Do  _what_?" He asked.

"Ye're too overprotective."

"Sorry, but this is the kind of thing you have to put up with when somebody loves you." He told her. He  _was_  being overprotective, but it was because he loved her and he knew she was still emotionally vulnerable. Even after all these years, she still hadn't fully overcome the trauma of losing her mother and even though her relationship with her father had improved, it was still a sore subject for her. All that combined with the painful memories of the war was enough to drive anyone to drink and James didn't want her to start feeling overwhelmed again.

"I love ye too Jimmy, but I need to do this." She told him as they settled in for the night. He knew there was no point in trying to convince her otherwise now that she'd made up her mind. He knew he couldn't fight this battle for her, but he'd be by her side every step of the way because she'd always been there for him.

Years earlier, he'd joined Emma Frost's Hellions to seek revenge against Xavier after his brother, John, had been killed on a mission with the X-Men. His grief and hatred for Xavier poisoned his mind and he'd made a lot of decisions he would always regret. Finally, his conscience got the better of him and he gave up on his plan to kill Xavier after a confrontation with Theresa.

He felt he'd dishonored himself and his brother's memory so he left the Hellions and returned to the Xavier Institute with Theresa to join the New Mutants. Sam was going to turn him down, but Cable saw that he could be useful and he overruled him. The others didn't trust James and Cable only saw him as another weapon, but Theresa understood what he was going through and she tried to help him. Eventually she'd gotten through to him and reminded him of who he really was and he'd vowed to honor his brother's memory by dedicating his life to protecting and helping others.

' _I know I'm overprotective, but I can't lose you too Terry.'_  James thought as she slept safe in his arms. His parents had both died when he as young and now that he’d lost his brother she was all he had left. He loved her more than anything and losing her was the only thing he truly feared.

**The East Wing**

**-Mike's Room-**

Mike pulled on a pair of pajama pants and stepped out of the bathroom after his shower. Rahne had been waiting to talk with him, but she was so exhausted she'd fallen asleep on his bed.  _'I promise I'll never treat you so badly again.'_ He thought to himself as he picked up his Bible she'd been reading and turned out the lamp. He had serious doubts about himself; he was done with getting drunk, but he was still worried he might snap again. He'd never forgive himself if he hurt Rahne and he wondered if he was really good enough for her. He was touched by how quickly she had forgiven him; he didn't deserve it, he'd treated her shamefully.

' _I should have come crawling to you instead of crawling in that bottle.'_ He thought as he knelt down to pray. Mike was on his knees a long time that night, asking for forgiveness and confessing all his sins, fears and doubts to God and asking for his guidance. He prayed for the children they'd saved and for those they were going after. He prayed for Laura and Xian and that he would be able to help both of them build a new life. He prayed for Rahne and their relationship; that he could be the man he needed to be for her. He prayed for his teammates and the challenges they were facing in their lives. Finally, he prayed for their mission and an end to the threat to the school; he prayed that Xavier's dream would one day become reality.

**The East Wing**

**-Mark and Nicholas' Room-**

Mark lay in bed, staring at the ceiling; he still couldn't quite believe everything that had happened that day. He'd started the day in a cage, but now he safe and comfortable again thanks to the heroic actions of X-Force. He was grateful to be alive; grateful to be able to see his mother again tomorrow, but his joy was tainted with sadness when he thought of Laura. She'd sacrificed everything to bring them home and he was shocked and angry to learn how she'd been treated.

He wished he could just go to sleep and forget this ever happened; but he'd never be the same again and he knew it. He wasn't really thrilled with the idea of living at the school, but after what had happened he knew it was the best place for him and he didn't want to risk anything happening to his mother because he was a mutant. He tried to make himself feel better by reminding himself that there were some really beautiful girls at the school, but even that didn't help much. He admired Mike and Laura's bravery, but he didn't want to end up impaled or burned like they had been. He wondered if any of the other kids had these same fears and doubts or if they just didn't realize what could happen.

He couldn't sleep and he really wished he had someone to talk about all this with besides Nicholas. He was too young to really understand what Mark was dealing with and he was too traumatized to be any help. He'd pulled all the sheets off his bed and curled up under it like a wolf in its den. Mark felt bad for him and even though he really didn't want a needy little brother tagging along with him, Nicholas didn't have anyone else to care about him.

"Mark? You still up?" Callie whispered as she opened the door just enough to peek inside. She needed someone to talk to as well and she felt she could trust Mark after their week of captivity.

"Yeah, I can't sleep either." Mark said as he sat up in bed. He had come to respect Callie's gentle nature and quiet strength during their captivity and he was grateful for her company.

"Where's Nicholas?" She asked as she closed the door.

"Under there." Mark said, pointing at his empty bed.

"He's like a little wolf cub isn't he?" She said as she peeked under the bed at her sleeping friend.

"Yeah, he's different." Mark said.

"Can I stay with you for a while?" She asked as she came and sat down next to him.

"Yeah, I missed our talks." He said as put his arm around her and hugged her. "Thanks for everything you did for me when we were locked up Callie; I was hurt and scared and I just wanted to give up." He admitted.

"So did I, but you helped me too." She said. "I thought you were the brave one." She said, blushing slightly.

"No, Shan was the brave one." He said despondently.

"Yeah, I really hope she's gonna be ok…Laura too." Callie said.

"I wish we could have helped her; I feel like a coward." Mark told her.

"What were we going to do?" Callie sighed. "My powers are pretty useless in a fight and yours don't work without music." She reminded him. "We're not like Mike and Laura and I don't want to be."

"I don't think they do either." Mark said, remembering how depressed Mike seemed on the flight home. He and the rest of X-Force had obviously seen a lot of hardship and that mission was nothing like the superhero stories he'd heard growing up. "I don't want to be some kind of super soldier, but I liked what Ms. Munro said about helping people." He said.

"Yeah, she was really amazing." Callie agreed. "I'm gonna miss my mom and dad, but I think I'm gonna stay too; I feel normal for once." She said after a moment. Everyone knew her father was a mutant and everyone had always assumed she was as well, so she'd always felt a little out of place. She was also over six feet tall and not particularly well endowed which made her a little awkward around boys.

"Nobody's going to care about your ears here, that's for sure." Mark said, trying to cheer her up. "I don't see what the big deal was anyway."

"You don't think I look weird?" She asked. "I've got pointy ears and I'm taller than you."

"Maybe I like tall women." Mark said as he leaned in and kissed her. Callie was shocked; she'd never been kissed and even though she liked Mark and thought he was gorgeous, she hadn't considered a relationship now that they were free.

"Mark…I like you too, but I think I need some time to sort all this out." Callie said quietly. Her heart was racing after just one kiss and the fact that Mark was in his boxers made her feel hot all over. He was clearly more experienced than she was and this was too fast for her after what had just happened.

"I'm sorry, I really thought we were gonna die and now that I've got another chance I wanted to make the most of it." He told her. 

"It's ok, I liked it." She said reassuringly. "I'm not taking anything for granted anymore either, but  _this_  is not something I'm going to rush into." She said emphatically. Mark realized she was reading more into that kiss than he meant, but maybe it was time he got serious about one girl and Callie was certainly worth getting serious about.

"We've got time." Mark told her. "Do you know which squad you're going to now that you're staying?" He asked after an awkward silence.

"No, do you?" she asked.

"They're putting together a new squad under Ms. MacTaggart, that werewolf lady." Mark told her. "Me and Nicholas are going with her; maybe they'll put you with us." He said hopefully.

"Yeah, that Pixie girl is on that team too, she's sweet." Callie said. "I don't know what help I'm going to be though; what am I going to do, throw flowers at a bad guy?" She asked.

"We can worry about that tomorrow." Mark said as he yawned. Callie nodded, she was tired too and she thought she might be able to sleep now. She felt safe with her friends in the school and she knew that Mike, Sam, Tabitha and James were right down the hall as well. She knew they wouldn't let anything happen to them and she settled in next to Mark, thankful to have them watching over her.

**The East Wing**

**-Mike's Room-**

Lightning split the sky, illuminating the whole bedroom as the rain poured down and the storm raged outside. Mike felt the thunder shake the whole house as he sat up and checked on Rahne who was still sleeping peacefully despite the fury of the storm. He lay back on the folding cot he'd pulled out of the closet to sleep on and stared up at the ceiling as another bolt of lightning flashed through the sky and lit the room again. He'd waked about 10:30 PM when the storm hit and he hadn't been able to sleep since. The old cot was a lot more comfortable than the cold concrete floor of a fallout shelter or one of the fetid sewers he'd called home during the war, but every roar of thunder reminded him of an exploding shell and the lighting of tracer fire and energy blasts from the Infinites' guns. Even a year later, he could still smell the stench of the battlefield and hear the screams of dying men and he wondered if the war would ever really end for him.

He closed his eyes and prayed for God's help in overcoming this, but he knew he had to be willing to do his part as well. He knew it was past time he let go of his pride and anger and got professional help. He didn't care if people thought he was crazy or weak anymore, he couldn't bear the thought of hurting Rahne like that again. It wasn't going to be easy; he hadn't talked to anyone about what he'd experienced and he didn't know how he was going to talk to some doctor about it.

' _Dad…you have every right to be mad at me, but I couldn’t just let the world go to hell…I wish you understood why I'm here.'_  He thought as he rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. He'd always been able to turn to his father before, but now he felt abandoned and he was grateful for Rahne's forgiveness. He was just closing his eyes again when he heard Rahne's voice. Mike sat up startled and realized she was having a nightmare as she began to toss and turn in her sleep and cry out for her mother.

"Mum…mum, please…Ah cannae…" She moaned as he got up to comfort her.

"Rahne! Yer're safe! It's not real!" He said as sat down next to her on the bed and tried to comfort her.

"Tabby! NO! NO!" Rahne screamed as waked in terror.

"Yer're safe! So is Tabitha! Nobody's gonna hurt ya'll." Mike said gently, trying to reassure her.

"Mike…" Rahne gasped. "Och, bloody hell…" She sighed as she sat up and he gathered her in his arms.

"Yer're alright, it was just a nightmare." He explained. "I get 'em bad; I woke up and I didn't know where I was." He admitted. Rahne leaned back against his chest, still shaking with fear as she began to cry.

"Ah killed Tabby…" She cried. "Tha' monster took me and Ah killed her…"

"It wasn't real."

"It would ha' been if ye had nae stopped me today…Ah went mad." She sniffed.

"I  _didn't_  stop you, I couldn't." He said as he held her a little closer. "I helped, but  **you**  stopped th' wolf, yer're stronger than it is." He told her.  Rahne had always been scared of her powers, but ever since Donald Pierce had warped her X-gene she'd been terrified she'd loose control and hurt her friends or her mother. Mike's words helped to ease the burden of fear and guilt and he continued to hold her and comfort her as she cried.

"Thank ye." Rahne said after a moment. "Ah'm sorry; Ah dinnae mean tae be actin' so badly." She said as she dried her eyes. She was still shaken up, but she was starting to feel better about her powers, better than she'd felt in a long time.

"I'm scared too." He admitted. "I knew what I was doin' was wrong, but I was just so angry I didn't care…if that had been anybody but Logan I would have killed them." He said.

"I need help Rahne." He admitted.

"Ye dinnae ha' tae face this alone, Ah'll go wit' ye." She said as she turned and looked into his eyes. This wasn't the face he showed the rest of the team, he was completely open with her and she could see all the pain, fear, self-doubt and guilt in his eyes.

"Ah know how much it hurts. Ah saw terrible things tae, Ah was experimented on like an animal and Ah had tae kill tae save Terry." She told him. "If Ah could take it away from ye Ah would, but all Ah can do is help ye face it." She said.

"Thank you. I haven't been able t' talk about it to anyone; not even my dad." Mike said as he leaned up against the headboard and she sat beside him on the bed.

"It gets better Mike, Ah promise." Rahne said as she reached over and took his hand and he looked at her appreciatively. He really didn't have the words to thank Rahne for what she was trying to do for him. She had issues of her own to contend with, but she was willing to risk reopening old wounds to help him get his life back together. He still felt terrible, but he wasn't as worried as he had been about seeing a psychiatrist now that she was going to go with him.

"Muh doctor is an expert on PTSD and he understands our faith tae. He's done so much fer me and he can help ye if ye'll let him." She said.  Rahne was strong and she’d overcome the trauma of her early childhood, but she’d needed help coming to terms with the horrors she’d witnessed in the war, her torture at the hands of Mr. Sinister and the guilt she felt from killing Feral.  She was better now, the nightmares had almost stopped and she finally had a healthy spiritual life thanks to Dr. Connor and Reverend MacLaren, her old pastor from Edinburgh. She’d accepted God’s grace and forgiveness for what she’d done and she’d rededicated herself to helping others in his name.

"I want t' be better fer you, and fer Noriko." He told her. "I'll talk to yer doctor if we live through this next mission." He said.

"Th' mission…" Rahne sighed. "Ye can have yer bed back, ye need tae get some sleep."

"I don't think I can sleep." He sighed.

"Ah dinnae know if Ah can either." She said. “Lets jus’ lie here and stare at th’ ceiling together then.” She told him as she scooted over to one side of the mattress. Rahne's mothering instincts had kicked in and she wanted to comfort him, but she was lonely as well and Mike made her feel special.

"Mike, who did this tae ye?" Rahne asked as he rolled over and picked his pillow up off the cot beside the bed. He wasn't wearing anything but his pajama pants and dog tags and she could see the scars on his back even in the darkness. He had quite a few from his years of fighting, but these were different and she could tell they had once been serious wounds to leave marks like that.

"Th’ third horseman." He told her as he rolled back over and lay down on his pillow.

"Wha' happened?" She asked.

"Rahne, do we have t' do this now?" He asked.

"Yer're nae th' only one who's gone through this. Ah was tortured too; ye can tell me wha' happened." She said as she sat back up in bed. He couldn’t explain it, but even though they’d just met he felt like he’d known Rahne forever and he began to tell her about the war.

"We were on our way back from knockin' out one of th' siege cannons when Hawkeye and Black Widow's team got shot down behind th' line." He said as he sat back up in bed. "I didn't wait fer orders, I took th’ Angels in after 'em." He told her. "We hit those clone bastards with everything we had and we managed to hold em’ off long enough to evacuate th' others, but me and Jesse didn't make it. I got hit bad and Jesse wouldn't leave me; we'd been together since th' academy, we were like family." He said as he wiped his eyes. "His powers finally gave out and we ended up with Mikhail. That sick bastard hated humans and he wanted to punish Jesse fer sidin' with us, so he strung him up in front of all his followers to make an example of him." He said. "I told th' son of a bitch to leave him alone, to take me instead." Mike told her.

"Ye took tha' beatin' fer him?" Rahne asked as she tried to comfort him.

"Yeah." Mike said.  "I was fourteen when I went to th' academy. I'd never really been away from my family and I was scared, but Jesse never had a family and he was just glad to have friends as weird as he was. We got to be roommates; he made me feel better and we were best friends from then on." He told her. "I used to take him home with me at Thanksgiving and Christmas; my folks wanted to adopted him, but SHIELD was his legal guardian." He said. Rahne began to understand the depth of Mike's pain; he and Jesse were more than just friends, they really were like brothers. She could see that Mike and Jesse's relationship had been a lot like she and Tabitha's. Rahne cared for Tabitha and took care of her the way Mike watched over Jesse like a big brother. Tabitha encouraged Rahne live her life to the fullest and wouldn't let her give into sadness and self-pity, just like Jesse had done with Mike.

"He always kept me grounded; I was a SHIELD Agent _and_ an Avenger and I would have been fighting 24-7 if it wasn't fer him." Mike said after a moment. "He talked me into gettin' that car when we graduated and started gettin' paid to bust heads. He got me t' have fun; he got my mind off all th' blood and guts fer a while." He told her. "He was there fer me every time my life went to hell and now I feel lost without him." He admitted.

"Ah’m sorry Mike. Ah know tha’ disnae help, but Ah’ve lost muh dad, muh boyfriend, muh friend and two teammates…Ah know how much it hurts." Rahne said as she wiped away a tear.

“Nights like this I don’t know what hurts more…that he died or that I didn’t.” Mike said as he became emotional. "I finally figured out that Celestial tech and deactivated th' energy field on my cell, but by then Mikhail had hooked Jesse up to his ship's weapons system and he was attackin’ th' Triskelion. Jesse was nearly dead when I found him; his body couldn't take th' kind of stress that machine was puttin' on him, but he still knocked that ship outta th' air and he saved me from Mikhail." He said as he became emotional again.

"I couldn't have taken Mikhail on my best day, but I didn't last thirty seconds in th' shape I was in." Mike said. "I wanted Jesse to run, but he wouldn't. He fried Mikhail's armor with his powers and I beat that son of a bitch to death." He choked out. "Jesse was dead when I got back to him." He told her as he completely broke down. Normally he’d fight not to give in to his emotions, but somehow it didn't seem so bad to cry in front of Rahne and he just couldn't bear the pain any longer. Rahne continued to comfort him for a few minutes until he composed himself again.

"This willnae help much now, but Ah'll tell ye wha' Reverend MacLaren told me. He said I had three choices, Ah could let it destroy me, define me, or strengthen me." She said as she put her arm around him. "Jesse loved ye, he died tae save ye and he’d be really hurt if he knew how miserable ye are now, blamin' yuirself fer his death." She told him.

"I didn’t have any business bein’ an Avenger, I’m not strong enough." Mike sighed. "If I hadn’t gotten hit, Jesse would still be here.”

"It was nae  **yer**  fault!" Rahne said firmly. "Jesse didnae die so ye could feel guilty and torture yerself! He wanted ye to live! Ye were his brother and he loved ye!" She said emphatically.

"Illyana died tae save our team back when we were New Mutants. We all felt guilty tae, but dad told us we should honor her sacrifice and ne'er take another day fer granted again. Ah try tae do tha' everyday, because Illyana didnae die fer nothin'!" She said as she wiped a tear from her cheek. "Live like Jesse wanted ye tae!" She said as he held her close. Rahne's words weren't easy to hear, but Mike knew she was right. Jesse had pulled him out of the hell he was in when they returned from Genosha and he'd be trying to help now if he was still alive.

"It'll be alright Rahne." Mike said as she started to cry. "I'm not afraid to face this anymore." He said. He recognized his problems, but he didn't really seem much better and Rahne knew from her own experience that healing would take time and patience. She didn't regret beginning a relationship with him; she'd been to hell and back herself and they'd both help each other. Rahne offered a quiet prayer of thanks as they settled in for the night and soon both were asleep again; able to find comfort in each other.

**Next issue: Will it be the end of the sentinels or the end of X-Force? & who is** _**really** _ **** **behind the threat?**


	7. Rise - Part I

Disclaimer: Marvel owns everything here except Wrath.

A/N: An alternate version of the X-Men and X-Force from Earth 730.

Apocalypse has been defeated, but the Millennium War has cost the X-Men dearly.  With the Xavier Institute reduced to ashes and only two surviving psychics, the X-Men have been forced to relocate to the X-Force base in Dallas Texas. Headmistress Storm is preparing to open a new school for young mutants in the hope of salvaging Xavier’s dream and uniting the teams, but the growing conflict between Cannonball’s X-Force and Cyclops’ X-Men has put the future in jeopardy.

**Previously**

The news of Trask Industries involvement with RIGHT put the X-Men in a difficult position and they were forced to acknowledge X-Force had been right about the NIMROD project. Tension ran high between the two teams because of Laura, but Ororo and Sam were able to put their differences aside to help the young mutants Trask is holding captive. A special team of X-Men will accompany Sam and Cable's X-Force teams as they assault Trask Industries to put an end to the NIMROD project permanently.

Mike and Logan let their past and their emotions get the better of them and they destroyed the local bar in a drunken brawl. Mike was ashamed of his actions, but he found comfort with Rahne who was feeling terrible as well. He was able to ease her fears about her powers and she convinced him to seek counseling for the trauma he suffered during the war. Meanwhile, James and Theresa struggled with their own fears and regrets.

**The final mission against the sentinels has begun, but even the combined strength of the X-Force and the X-Men may not be enough to stop Bolivar Trask and his new sentinels.**

This Issue:

X-Force: Sam Guthrie-Cannonball, Tabitha Smith-Boomer, Theresa Cassidy-Siryn, James Proudstar-Warpath, Michael Holmes-Wrath, Rahne MacTaggart-Wolfsbane, Douglas Ramsey-Cypher, Nathan Summers-Cable, Neena Thurman-Domino, Tessa-Sage, Lucas Bishop and Wade Wilson as God’s favorite idiot- **DEADPOOL**

X-Men: Ororo Munro-Storm, Scott Summers-Cyclops, James Howlett-Wolverine, Monet St. Croix-M, Dr. Cecelia Reyes, Hank McCoy-Beast, James Bradley-Dr. Nemesis, Jonathan Silvercloud-Forge, Kurt Wagner-Night Crawler

X-Men Trainees: Paige Guthrie-Husk, Jubilation Lee-Jubilee

Students: Laura Kinney-X-23, Cessily Kincaid-Mercury, Noriko Ashida-Surge, Julian Keller-Hellion, Santos Vaccaro-Rockslide, David Alleyne-Prodigy, Megan Gwynn-Pixie, Josh Foley-Elixir, Sophie, Phoebe & Celeste Frost, Mark Sheppard, Callie Beto

Faculty Members: Xi’an Coy Mahn, Sharon Friedlander, Annie Ghazikhanian, Danielle Moonstar-Mirage

**X-Men - Guardians # 7: Rise – Part I**

**Trask Industries Main Weapons Development Facility**

**Seattle** **Washington**

**-Dawn-**

_"I don't like this Mike."_ Sam said as Mike ducked into the shadows behind some shipping containers stacked behind the main assembly plant. Sam was watching the live feed from his nano-camera and he was getting worried even though the security was geared toward keeping mutants out and Mike hadn't had too much trouble getting in so far. Mike wasn't taking any chances though; he'd just seen Iron Man land ahead of the Quinjet carrying Larry Trask and the place was crawling with sentinels and SHIELD agents. Forge had given him an image inducer, but it had limited power and he didn't want to use it until Cypher was certain of Larry's location in the complex. SHIELD had taken him into custody at his home the day before, but they weren't done questioning him and they needed him to unlock the main database.

 _"I can do this Sam; its why I'm here."_  Mike said defensively.  _"I'm sorry about yesterday, but it's done."_  He told him. He'd made a fool of himself, embarrassed Sam as a leader and he'd made the whole team look bad. He really didn't blame Sam for questioning his competence after what he'd done, but he was the only chance those kids had to come home alive and he was going to succeed no matter what.

 _"If I didn't believe in you, you wouldn't be there."_  Sam said bluntly. He was certainly disappointed in Mike, but he still trusted him and he couldn't stand the thought of losing another friend. Despite Mike's training and years of experience, Cypher calculated a 75% chance of capture and Sam had briefly considered calling off the mission.

" _I'm sorry."_  Mike said, feeling like a complete ass.

 _"So am I."_  Sam told him.  _"I know what yer're goin' through and I should have been there fer ya."_  He told him.  _"I didn't want to admit I had a problem…I couldn't admit it until I yelled at Tabitha and made her cry one night."_  He admitted _. "I promised I'd never hurt her…but I treated her like crap, just like her worthless dad. That was ma rock bottom moment Mike._ "

 _"I treated Rahne like trash and I don't ever wanna see that look in Noriko’s eyes again."_  Mike admitted.  _"I'm fucked up Sam, but I'm gonna get help."_

 _"I know yer're strong enough to beat this Mike. We've all been there, yer're not crazy, yer're not a monster and yer're not alone."_  Sam told him _. "You remember yer're part of a team, part of a family."_  He added. Mike began to feel a lot better knowing that Sam and the others still believed in him and trusted him. Sam never ceased to inspire his confidence and respect, but it was his friendship that meant the most to Mike. He knew Sam cared about him as much more than just a teammate and he could tell how concerned he was for him.

 _"Sorry to interrupt the bromance guys, but they've got Larry locked down in the third floor executive conference room."_  Cypher said as he broke in on the conversation. Larry had spent the night in the Triskelion’s detention block after they had brought him in for questioning and this was their first and only chance to get at him.

 _"We don't want this to be too easy now do we?"_  Mike asked sarcastically.

 _"Have fun storming the castle."_  Cypher told him.

 _"If I get caught, ya'll get th' hell outta here and don't look back."_  Mike said as he activated his image inducer and instantly changed into a SHIELD agent in full battle gear just like those stationed outside. The inducer was based on Danger Room hard-light technology from the Shiar Empire and Sam hoped it would be enough to fool the SHIELD agents.

 _"We don't leave our people behind."_  Sam said emphatically.

 _"This time you have to; there's nothin' to tie me back to ya'll or th' school and it has t' stay that way."_  Mike said as he cut the transmission and headed out after Larry.

**Aboard the PACRAT**

Sam cursed in disgust and threw the microphone down at the comm. station. He had serious misgivings about this mission; so far he'd managed to avoid fighting other heroes, but there might be no avoiding it this time. Worse than that, he was risking his friend's freedom and maybe his life; SHIELD and the Avengers would certainly view Mike as a traitor if he was discovered. Unfortunately, they couldn't openly ask SHIELD for help and they didn't have another choice if they wanted to save those kids.

Bolivar Trask had vanished before SHIELD could take him into custody and even Cypher couldn't find any trace of him. Sam was convinced that Stephen Lang from the Department of Defense had set up a secret factory for Trask before the war.  Sam was certain the factory was automated and had year's worth of materials on hand so they could operate in secret until they had enough sentinels to strike. Unfortunately, Lang was dead thanks to Mystique and the secret had died with him.

"Never gets any easier, does it?" Scott asked.

"No." Sam sighed. "It's bad enough to have to risk fightin' th' Avengers, but to just abandon Mike if this goes south…I can't do it." He said.

"Being a leader means having to make the hard decisions." Scott told him. "You know he's right."

"Spare me another one of yer condescendin' lectures." Sam snapped. "We wouldn't be here if  ** _you'd_** been willin' to make th' hard decisions." He said bitterly. "After everything Mikes done he deserves better than to be locked up on th'  **RAFT**  fer th' rest of his life with scum and terrorists." He said as he pushed his way past Scott and went to talk to Kurt.

"Rahne, he'll come back. He  _always_  comes back." James said as Rahne knelt down to pray for Mike's safe return. She already had serious misgivings about this part of the mission and that argument didn't help her feelings. It was one thing to fight RIGHT, but SHIELD and the Avengers were good people and she hoped Mike wouldn't be forced to confront them. They were doing the right thing, but they were about to cross and line she'd never considered crossing before and she was worried she'd never see Mike again. He'd promised her he'd be fine, he'd even given her his dog tags to keep for him, but she'd lost friends before and she didn't ever want to go through that again.

**Trask Industries Main Weapons Development Facility**

**Seattle** **Washington**

 _"You ever done anything like this before?"_  Cypher asked as Wrath stepped off the elevator, still disguised as a SHIELD agent, and headed for the third floor conference room where Larry Trask was being held. Wrath had uploaded Cypher's spyware into the Trask's system, but he hadn't found any new leads. Tony Stark's analysis of the wrecked Nimrod units proved they weren't manufactured at the main facility in Seattle or at the secondary facility in Tacoma. That seemed to prove Cannonball's theory about the secret factory, but it didn't bring them any closer to actually locating it and now they only had one option left. As hypocritical as it seemed, Cypher was uncomfortable with the thought of Wrath wringing the information out of Larry; he thought it sounded like torture.

 _"Yeah, after th' war."_  Wrath answered.  _"SHIELD got wind of an international prostitution ring targeting th' war orphans and Director Bridge sent me to deal with 'em. I got pretty good a puttin' th' psychic screws to those bastards."_  He explained. He'd psychologically destroyed the pimps by forcing them to experience all the pain, fear and humiliation they'd inflicted on their victims and carry the horrifying memories forever. They were too broken and traumatized to resist once he was done and he'd taken out their whole organization.

" _I didn't think Avengers did things like that."_  Cypher said.

 _“I wasn’t an Avenger anymore.”_ Wrath said.

_“Still…”_

_"Those bastards were sellin' kids as sex slaves! What th' hell was I supposed t' do?!"_  Wrath asked angrily. Parts of the country had descended into anarchy after the war and SHIELD had deployed the Psi-Ops Division to help the troops keep order. Wrath wasn't proud of some of the things he'd done after the war, but he'd do them again to save these children from being tortured and killed in a cruel experiment.

_"I know, but…."_

" _No, **you** don't."_ Wrath said emphatically _. " **You** have no idea what hell those kids went through and **yer're** th' last person on this team who needs to be givin' me a lecture on morality."_ Wrath said bluntly.

 _"Yeah...well, **you're** supposed to be the good guy."_ Cypher said.

 _"Fuck you! If it was somebody **you** loved bein' raped and sold like property you wouldn't have a problem with it!"_ Wrath told him as he cut the transmission. He'd be damned if he was going to listen to anymore of Cypher's self-righteous hypocrisy.

 _"Asshole."_  Cypher snapped as he turned his attention back to hacking the sentinels programming. He'd identified a vulnerability in their SATCOM network allowing him to break in and access their code. He understood their language now and he was a few minutes away from being able to override their programming and force them to attack the Nimrod units. He was also hacked into the security system so he could use the cameras and sensors to keep track of Commander Maria Hill and Ironman as they inspected the facility. They were occupied for the moment, but whatever Wrath was going to do, he needed to do it quickly.

 _'I hope this thing doesn't crap out on me.'_  Wrath thought as he adjusted his image inducer and changed into a perfect likeness of Cmdr. Hill.

"Good morning ma'am" The two agents on guard outside the conference room said in unison as they saluted. Wrath knew they were probably wearing neuro-shield helmets so he had adjusted the voice scrambler in his helmet to make himself sound just like Cmdr. Hill to fool them.

"As you were." He replied curtly as he returned their salute. His ruse worked, not only did he look just like her, but he sounded like her too. He'd barely gotten inside and locked the doors before he was set upon by and irate Larry Trask.

"I already told you everything I know yesterday!" Larry yelled. "You can't keep me detained like this! I have rights!" He raged.

"Fuck yer rights, I’m here fer answers!" Wrath hissed as he seized him by the throat and slammed him down on the conference room table. Larry had lived in fear of a mutant trying to take revenge on him for years and he nearly died of fright, thinking a metamorph had finally found a way to bypass his security.

"I already told SHIELD  _everything_ …" Larry choked out as Wrath entered his mind. He tried to cry out for help, but he couldn't make a sound, Wrath had complete control of his body and terror overwhelmed him. Wrath ignored the revolting crawling sensation on his skin as Larry's fear grew with each passing second. Psychic interrogation was unpleasant to say the least, but he'd turn his mind inside out if that's what it took to save those kids.

"Don't waste my time with yer bullshit!" Wrath snapped as he snatched Larry up and slammed him against the wall. "I know yer're lyin' to me." He said in an icy tone. "Yer dad's buddy Hodge ain't too good at keepin' secrets. We know about th' secret factory Lang built and th' experiments yer dads been doin' on th' kids there." He explained. "Now, I'm gonna ask you nicely once and then I'm gonna rip yer mind inside out if ya lie to me again." He said.

"Where is yer dad?" Wrath asked menacingly.

"I'm not going to help you kill my father!" Larry gasped.

"I don't want to kill anybody!" Wrath yelled. "I just want to save those kids! Now where is he!?" He yelled as he tore into his mind.

**Aboard the PACRAT**

"How's he doin' in there?" Sam asked as he walked up behind Theresa and James who were watching the video feed from Wrath's nano-camera.

"He just got inside with Larry." James said. "Shouldn't take long now."

"Keep an eye on him." Sam ordered. "I need to talk t' Terry fer a minute."

"Wha's this about Sam?" Theresa asked as they stepped away into the cargo hold for a moment. He wasn't in a habit of keeping secrets from the others and she wondered what he had to say to her that he didn't want James to hear.

"I need to change th' plan." Sam told her. "Those kids are th' first priority and makin' sure nobody can ever use that base again is th' second…I'm not riskin' th' whole team on Bolivar like I did with Hodge…it's just me and Scott going after him." He explained. "I know what happened on yer last mission was bad and I wanted t' wait fer somethin'  _"low pressure"_  before I asked ya to lead again, but I need you now." He said emphatically.

"Wouldn't Wrath be a better choice to lead the assault team?" Theresa asked after a long pause.

"No, he’s leadin’ th’ rescue team fer a reason." Sam said. "Terry, what happened before was  _ **not**_  yer fault; that mission was screwed from th' get go." He told her. "Hell, do ya think it would have been any different if me or Cable had been in command?!" He asked.

"It doesn't matter, it was  **my**  mission and I nearly got us all killed." Theresa said angrily.

"It was a trap, but ya brought everybody back alive; _**that's**_  what matters." Sam reminded her. "If this thing goes to hell, then I want Mike protectin’ those kids and I want you in there to bring our people home." He said. "I believe in you Terry I need you to believe in yerself again." Sam said.

"Ok Sam." She said after a long pause.

 _"Cannonball, you need to come take a look at this."_  Cypher interrupted.

 _"On ma way."_ Sam said as he headed back to the comm. station to see what Cypher wanted.

"We talked about this Terry." Tabitha said as Theresa looked up, startled. Tabitha had made a hammock out of the cargo net in the hold and she'd been asleep until Sam and Theresa started talking beneath her.

"How long are you gonna keep beating yourself up over this?" She asked.

"It's not as easy as ye want it to be Tabby." Theresa said defensively.

"It really is." Tabitha said bluntly as she jumped down next to her. "The trouble is; you're trying  _ **so**_  hard to prove you're better than your dad that you can't let it go." She told her. Theresa's mother had been killed in a terrorist bombing when she was six and her father had been unable to cope with the loss of his wife and raise his daughter. He'd struggled with alcoholism for years and he'd finally sent Theresa away to boarding school at age twelve. Theresa felt abandoned and unloved and she'd become obsessed with protecting her adopted family and keeping them safe.

"Shut up!" Theresa choked out as she wiped away a tear. "What the hell do ye know?!" She snapped. She wanted to yell at Tabitha and tell her that wasn't true, but deep down she knew it was. X-Force was the only family Tabitha had and she understood how Theresa felt, but it was time for some tough love.

"I know you didn't _**fail**_  Rahne until you got shit-faced drunk." Tabitha told her. "She blamed herself for that on top of everything else she was going through." She said.

"Stop it!" Theresa cried as her eyes filled with tears.

"No! You need to face this head on!" Tabitha said emphatically. "You're not responsible for your dad's choices or for Rahne's. Right now you're responsible for this team and you need to get your head straight." She told her. "You're the only reason we made it through that fight.  You're a good leader Terry and I'd follow you anywhere just like Sam, but not when you're like this. You've got to let this go,  **now**."

"I can't believe I needed a lecture on responsibility from  _ **ye**_." Theresa said as she began to regain her composure. Tabitha certainly wasn't eloquent, but she was right and Theresa was ashamed of herself. She  _was_  trying to be better than her father, but she'd ended up treating her loved ones the way he'd treated her and she felt terrible for making Rahne feel guilty.

"Yeah, that's pretty screwed up." Tabitha admitted. "Look, I know I was a bitch, but it's because I love you." She said as she hugged Theresa.

"I love ye too Tabby…and ye're right, I deserved that." Theresa said.

**Jean Grey School**

**-Main Medical Bay-**

Even though it was still very early, the medical bay was a whirlwind of activity. Dr. McCoy, Dr. Nemesis, David Alleyne and Emma Frost were hard at work trying to bring Josh Foley out of his coma. Emma was now the world’s most powerful psychic, but transferring all of Hank’s medical knowledge to Josh was extremely difficult. Dr. Nemesis was busy monitoring the process at the main computer when Forge walked in, still yawning.

"You look worse than usual." Dr. Nemesis said. "Coffee?" He asked as he offered Forge a cup of his latest concoction. Forge had worked late repairing Wrath's armor and he was still tired, but he wanted to get started on Xi’an's prosthetic leg. He hesitated for a moment, eyeing Dr. Nemesis warily before he took the cup.

"PFFFFFT! What did you put in this?!" He gasped as he took a sip. He felt like he was having a heart attack; even Dr. MacTaggart’s coffee wasn't this bad.

"Science!" Dr. Nemesis said triumphantly.

"It tastes like gasoline!" Forge yelled.

"You have no appreciation for true genius." Dr. Nemesis scoffed as he turned back to his work. Josh's biometric data was unlike anything he'd seen before, but what he saw was beginning to concern him.

"Whatever you're doing, it looks like its working." Forge said as he and Nemesis both watched as Josh's brain activity began to increase exponentially and his vitals began returning to normal.

**Psionics Lab**

"Why does my head hurt so much?" Josh asked weakly as Dr. McCoy continued to examine him and Danielle sat at his bedside trying to comfort him. He felt completely drained and his head was pounding; it was worse than that time he and Julian had stolen a bottle of Logan's whiskey and gotten drunk.

"Ms. Frost just gave you a PhD. in about 30 seconds." David explained.

"Marvelous job Emma, I really must commend you." Hank said. The procedure was a success and Josh appeared to have made a full recovery, although he was still very weak.

"What else would you expect?" Emma asked.  She was exhausted and felt like she could sleep for a week, but Josh was safe now and that was all that mattered.    

"Thank you, I know that was hard even for you." Danielle said as she thanked Emma. She felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her now that she knew Josh was going to make a full recovery. David was thankful the plan had worked for Danielle's sake and for Josh's. He was surprised how attached Danielle seemed to have become to Josh and he wondered how well they were going to get along once she got to know him better. He thought his roommate was an arrogant jerk, but he also felt sorry for him and often found himself watching out for him like an older brother.

"Thanks Ms. Frost." Josh said quietly. He’d been frightened of her since he’d arrived because of her telepathy and now he was really scared of what she might have seen while she was in his head. His anxiety grew with each passing second and he felt like he was about to be sick.

“You’re welcome Josh.” Said coldly _. ‘We need to talk about how you stole a kiss from Ms. MacTaggart.’_ She said telepathically. _‘I won’t allow any woman, even her, to be treated so disrespectfully at this school.’_ She told him. _‘Do I make myself clear?’_ She asked angrily.

 _‘Yes ma’am. That was a mistake.’_ Josh admitted.

 _‘It certainly was.’_ Emma agreed. _‘Especially since your feelings for her aren’t genuine.’_ She told him.

 _‘What are you talking about?’_ Josh asked.

‘ _I sought out your strongest desire to help motivate your subconscious to heal you. Your strongest desire is to be accepted and important, not to win the heart of that ugly little redhead.’_ Emma explained.  _‘You’re in denial about how much you hated mutants before you became one. Rahne has the most extreme mutation of any woman here, so you’ve convinced yourself that a relationship with her will prove that you’re a good mutant.’_ She told him.

_‘That…that’s not…’_

_‘It’s true and you know it Josh. Deep down you know it.’_ Emma said emphatically. _‘You don’t **really** care about her; you only woke up when I told you that everyone was proud of you for saving Laura.’ _She said. _‘You’re going to learn some respect and you’re going to deal with the emotional problems that got you into this.’_ She said firmly. _‘You’ll see me after class for counseling as soon as you’re well again.’_ She said.

 _‘Yes ma’am.’_ Josh said meekly.  He didn’t want to talk about his issues, especially not with Emma and he almost wished he was back in a coma. Everything she’d said was true, but it was humiliating and he hated her for making him see how selfish and immature he was.

“I hope you feel better.” Emma said as she severed her psychic link with him.  She didn’t trust him now and she and would be keeping a close eye on him in the future.  She should throw him out for behaving so inappropriately with a member of the faculty, but his powers made him too valuable and he had nowhere else to go. As much as she’d love to try to use this against Rahne, she knew it just wouldn’t work. No one would blame Rahne for slapping him and Ororo was still angry with her for treating Laura so cruelly. She knew Ororo wouldn’t dismiss her from the school, but she might remove her as dean of students and teaching was the only thing that gave her any joy in life anymore.

“Get some rest Emma.” Hank said as she excused herself.  She’d never show weakness, but he knew that had taken a lot out of her and he knew she was worried about Scott and the others even if she’d never show that either.

"Oh shit." Josh gasped as the doors opened and Dr. Nemesis entered the lab.

"What do  _ **you**_  want?" Danielle asked. She didn't care what he'd done for the X-Men during the war, she thought he was crazy and she didn't want him anywhere near Josh.

"To run more tests on Elixir." Dr. Nemesis said as he pulled one of his gadgets out of his coat and Josh scooted a little closer to Danielle.

"You're not going to try to plug something into his brain again are you?!" She asked.

"Better than where he tried to plug something into Mike." Forge said as he came to the door and looked in to check on Josh. Danielle looked completely beaten down and he was trying to lighten the mood and make her feel a little better, but it didn't seem to help much.

"Your sophomoric humor is a blight on our civilization you peg-legged tinkerer!" Dr. Nemesis snapped as he turned to Forge. "Go play with your toys! Grown ups are talking!" He fumed.

"You have more than enough data already James." Hank scolded as he shooed the mad doctor out of the lab. "Josh is under  _ **my**_  care and right now and I'll not have you treating him like another experiment." He said firmly. Hank had examined Dr. Nemesis’ data after his confrontation with Mike earlier and it was obvious from his neurological scans that he was suffering from PTSD. He was provoked with Dr. Nemesis; he'd been so interested in studying Mike’s peak human DNA that he hadn't discussed his health concerns with him.

"Don't condescend to me you troglodyte!" Dr. Nemesis snapped as he and Hank glared at each other. "Michael didn’t come to me for treatment and I'm not a psychiatrist! It's not my job to listen to him talk about his feelings!" He yelled.

"Get out Nemesis!" Hank yelled, momentarily loosing his composure. He was infuriated that Nemesis had mentioned Mike's psychological issues in front of Danielle and Josh. Dr. Nemesis pushed his way past Forge and headed back to his lab to work on his latest experiment as Hank tried to compose himself.

"I knew that guy was crazy." Josh said.

"Josh! Don't you _ever_ say anything like that again!" Danielle yelled.

"He got screwed up like that fighting for you." Forge said as he glared at Josh.  

"I'm sorry." Josh said.

"You should be." Forge said angrily.

"Why do you put up with him?!" Danielle asked. She thought Dr. Nemesis was awful and she couldn't understand how Hank and Forge could stand to work with him.

"I hate to say it, but we need that morally bankrupt horse's ass." Forge said angrily. He'd dealt with PTSD and the stigma that came with it when he'd returned from the service and he knew exactly what Mike was going through.

"I don't care! I don't want him anywhere near Josh." Danielle said emphatically.

"Don't worry Danielle, I'll run all the tests myself." Hank said, trying to reassure her. "Josh, I want you take it easy. I don't want you trying to use your powers again until I've had a chance to study your biometric data in more detail. I’m afraid you may be shortening your life when you exert yourself; that’s why you fell into a coma after healing Laura." Dr. McCoy told him.

“Oh my God…” Danielle gasped.

“Its not as bad as it sounds Danielle.” Hank said trying to reassure both of them.  Now that he has a proper understanding of human biology and medicine he can use his powers efficiently and not endanger his own health.

“But…I’m a Class 5 mutant…” Josh stammered. “I’m supposed to be perfect.” He said despondently.

“None of us are _perfect_ Josh.” Hank said. “The X-Gene is artificial and even Class 5 mutants can have problems because of it.” He explained.

“We’ll get through this Josh.” Danielle said. “Things will be ok, you’ll just have to take it easy from now on.” She said.

"Ok, but, what about Shan's leg?" Josh asked. “I heard Dr. Reye’s talking about amputating it.” He said.

"Josh, she lost it." Hank said as came and sat beside him. "We knew you would only have enough power to heal one of them and we chose Laura; it was Xi’an's leg or her life." Hank explained.

"I'm working on a prosthetic leg for her now; she's going to walk again." Forge said trying to make him feel better. Josh was devastated by the news; he'd tried to heal Forge's injuries but he wasn’t skilled enough at the time to regenerate lost limbs. Now that he actually knew what he was doing he couldn’t help Xi’an because of the risk to his own health and her cybernetic graft.

"I know you much you wanted to help Shan, but you can't dwell on it." Danielle said trying to comfort him. "You saved Laura's life and you should be proud of that." She said as she put her arm around him.

"Everybody feels different about her now." David explained. "Because of you, she has a chance to have a real life." He said.

"Thanks." Josh sighed. He felt like he should have been able to heal both of them and he was disgusted with himself for not being stronger. He was a Class 5 mutant, he thought had almost godlike power, but right now he felt pathetic.

"I'll take care of him today David, you've done enough." Danielle said as she helped Josh to his feet. "Come on, I'll get you something to eat." She told Josh as she helped him walk to the elevator. Josh felt too bad to give Danielle any attitude; he was just glad to have someone who cared.

**Engineering Bay**

"David, I need you go to the inventory and pull everything on this list for me." Forge said as he handed the young lab assistant a list as long as his arm. "I don't want Xi’an off her feet any longer than she has to be." He said as he sat down at this computer and double checked her measurements and the blueprints before he started working on her prosthesis again. He was impressed by Xi’an's bravery and having suffered a similar injury himself; he wanted to help her adjust to life as an amputee as painlessly as possible.

"Can I help?" David asked as he examined the list. "I promise I won't get in your way, but I really want to learn how to help people like Xi’an and…."

"Forgehelp!SomethingswrongwiththegauntletsandI'mgoingtooverload!" Noriko blurted out as she suddenly rushed into the lab followed by Megan, who was also still in her pajamas. Noriko didn't realize she'd damaged the capacitors in her right gauntlet punching Mike the day before and she'd gotten a rude awakening when it finally shorted out moments ago.

"Come on Nori, we have to siphon off your excess power!" David said as he and Forge helped her out of her malfunctioning gauntlets and into Hank's lab. The lights were beginning to dim and the monitors began to flicker as Noriko continued to absorb the electricity around her.

"DavidhurrybeforeIexplodeandkillyouandMeg!" Noriko said as she started to panic.

"You'll be ok Nori, we're not leaving you." Megan said as David and Hank attached the electrodes to her arms and temples.

"Feel better?" David asked as he switched on the machine and Noriko's excess energy was drained away. He really felt terrible for her, his powers were a blessing, but hers were a curse and she had to live with the constant fear she'd hurt someone.

"Yeah, thanks…" Noriko said as she blushed. She was embarrassed and frightened, but she was safe now and she hadn't hurt any of her friends.

"She should be fine now David." Hank said as he gently patted Noriko on the shoulder. "If you'll excuse me, I need to check on Xi’an and Laura." He said. He was worried the momentary power drain might have affected their healing pods.

"This is a mess Noriko, what happened?" Forge said as he removed the armored housing and examined the damaged gauntlet.

"I think it must have happened when you punched Mike yesterday." Megan said as she tried to comfort her friend.

"Did you leave a dent in his skull?" Forge asked as he began to repair the capacitors and regulators.

"I don't think I even hurt him, it was like punching a brick wall." She said, looking at the bruising on her knuckles.

"I know you're disappointed in him, but right now he feels like nobody understands and nobody cares. I know what that's like; I was even worse when I came home." Forge admitted. "I was so caught up in my own guilt and pain that I didn't care about anything or anyone for a long time." He told her. "Mikes better than that Nori, he still cares about helping people even though he's so lost and broken and he really cares about  _ **you**_ , so please give him another chance." He said, remembering how Mike had come to check on her their first day at the school.

"I will." Noriko said quietly. She was really worried about him as well as Tabitha and Rahne; she understood how dangerous being a hero was now and she was worried they might not come home. She ran her fingers through her short blue hair as she thought about how kind they'd all been to her and she was angry that they had to keep risking their lives for a world that didn't appreciate or deserve them.

"Good, some people won't." He told her.

"Yeah, we like to whine about how mean the baselines are to mutants, but then we treat them like shit the first chance we get." Noriko sighed. "We're just as bad as everybody else."

"Here, now try to take it easy, these are just temporary." Forge said as he finished his repairs and returned her gauntlets.

"Thanks Forge." Noriko said as she strapped them back on. "Mike said you were making me new ones; how soon till they’re ready?" She asked. "I feel like I've got two bricks tied to my arms." She said. Her arms and shoulders were already really sore and she was in good shape.

"I know, but do you think you could put up with those a little while longer?" Forge asked. "I really need to get back to work on Xi’an's leg." He explained. Noriko was really disappointed, but she knew that Xi’an's leg was more important.

"I’ll make it." She sighed as Megan put her arm around her. Noriko wasn't one to whine and complain, but Megan knew how much trouble her friend was having and she wished she could do something to help her. Megan enjoyed her powers; it was wonderful to be able to fly and she was sad that people like Noriko, Santo and Victor had so many problems with their powers.

**Trask Industries Main Weapons Development Facility**

**Seattle** **Washington**

 _'Please…please God no more!'_  Larry pleaded as his eyes rolled back in his head and he began to bleed from the nose. This was the worst pain he'd ever felt in his life; he felt like his brain was going to explode and he couldn't hold out against Wrath any longer, he was relentless.

 _'This is hell!'_  He screamed.

 _'I'll show you hell!'_  Wrath yelled. Larry suddenly found himself in the burning ruins of Hammer Bay, surrounded by death and destruction. He sank to his knees, choking on stench of burned flesh and toxic black smoke from the fires raging around him. There were burned, mangled corpses everywhere he looked and he tried to shut his eyes against the horror, but Wrath seized him by his hair and dragged him to his feet.

 _'Open your eyes you son of a bitch!'_  He roared.  _'I've had to live with this nightmare everyday for three years because of you!'_  He yelled.  _'Nine million dead because of you!'_

"N….Nooooo…" Larry groaned

"Stop fightin' and I'll make th' pain go away." Wrath hissed as Larry began sobbing uncontrollably.

"He's got a hidden base in the mountains." Larry cried as Wrath tore through his thoughts searching for the children.

"You sick bastard; you still let him do it." Wrath said as he dropped him in disgust.

"Wait! You said you'd make the pain stop!" Larry sobbed as the trauma of Wrath's experience on Genosha completely overwhelmed him.

"I lied." Wrath said. "Yer're done pretendin' you had nothin' t' do with it. Now you have to live with that nightmare everyday fer th' rest of yer life."

 _"Wrath! Hurry! Hill and Iron Man are headed your way!"_  Cypher said as his avatar appeared in the lower left corner of Wrath's HUD _. "Oh my God, what did you do?!"_  He exclaimed as he saw Larry. He looked like he was dying and he couldn't believe Wrath had gone  _that_  far.

 _"It's nothin' some BC powder won't fix."_  Wrath said sarcastically. He hadn't done any physical harm to Larry, but after what he'd just seen he certainly wanted to.

 _"They've got a base in th' Adirondacks, sendin' coordinates now."_  He said as he sent the map coordinates via his uplink to the jet.

 _"Get outta there Wrath!"_  Cannonball ordered as the alarms began to sound.

 _"Cypher stand by, I've got a plan!"_  Wrath said as Iron Man smashed down the conference room doors and charged in ahead of Commander Hill and several SHIELD agents. Wrath grabbed Larry as a human shield and backed up toward the windows overlooking the complex.

"All units! We have a metamorph in the third floor conference room! It's taken my form! Be on alert for more mutants!" Cmdr. Hill barked into her radio. "Let Trask go and drop your weapons!" She ordered as she aimed her pistol at Wrath.

"I don't have any weapons." Wrath said as he dragged Larry closer to the windows.

"You really expect us to believe you came in here unarmed?!" Iron Man asked incredulously.

"I'm not here to fight." Wrath told him.

"It's pretty obvious you're here for the same reason we are; to shut down the Nimrod Project." Iron Man told him. "Let's be reasonable about this; if you stand down and cooperate with us, we'll shut Trask down and you'll get a reduced sentence." He said as he tried to figure out what was going on. He couldn't get any biometric readings at all on their mystery guest; his scans were being blocked by some extremely advanced technology. They thought they were dealing with the MLF, but whoever this was, they weren't setting off the mutant detectors or triggering the sentinels' battle mode.

"I'll cooperate, but only if you promise to give my team amnesty.  You can make an example of me if you want too, but let them go, they're not your enemies." Wrath offered.

"We're not making deals with terrorists." Cmdr. Hill said sternly.

"But you'll make 'em with th' devil, won't you Hill?" Wrath asked as he tightened his grip on Larry's throat. "Th' sentinels wiped out humanity once; you really think they won't try it again?" He asked.

"Enough!" Cmdr. Hill yelled. "Let Trask go and get on the ground. It's over, you've lost." She said as she and her troops began to move towards him.

"Oh really?" Wrath asked as he reached down and crushed Larry's wristwatch, instantly setting off the facility's mutant detectors and activating the capture protocols of several nearby sentinels. Larry panicked; he'd worn that inhibitor since he was fifteen to suppress his powers and no one had ever suspected he might be a mutant. Now he felt the same terror as the people of Genosha felt and Wrath took a certain satisfaction in the irony.

"What the hell?!" Cmdr. Hill exclaimed in utter disbelief as Wrath shoved Larry toward her and a towering Mark II sentinel smashed through the windows and seized him.

"Mutant detected! Capture protocol initiated!" The sentinel said in its cold robotic voice.

"Help me!" Larry screamed in terror.

"Stark! Stop that thing!" Commander Hill ordered as she and her men opened fire on the robot. Iron Man was forced to attack the sentinel to save Larry as Wrath changed back to his SHIELD agent disguise and leaped through the broken windows to the ground thirty feet below as the facility erupted into chaos.

 _"Cypher! I could use some help!"_  Wrath yelled as he got to his feet and ran for his life as the SHIELD agents opened fire on him. Cypher seized control of the Mark I unit's targeting systems and ordered them to capture the SHIELD agents as he simultaneously set off the bases security system, making it appear the base was under attack by "mutant terrorists".

 _"Crawler, you seein' this?"_  Wrath asked as he knocked two SHIELD agents out of his way. He was pulling his punches, but those guys would be in the infirmary for days and he felt terrible. Unfortunately, he didn't see that he had any choice, he knew the layout of Trask's base and the others would need his help. His guilty conscience was the least of his worries; he sensed Black Widow and Hawkeye blocking his escape route with his telepathy and he knew he wasn't going to be able to get away without a fight.

 _"Yeah."_  Night Crawler answered as he watched the live feed from Wrath's nano-camera at the PACRAT's comm. station.

 _"You close enough to teleport!?"_  He asked.

 _"Almost!"_  Night Crawler answered as the PACRAT sped toward the facility. Wrath plowed through a squad of SHIELD agents as they opened fire on him, knocking them all out cold with a flurry of kicks and punches. He took them out quickly, but the momentary distraction was enough for Hawkeye and Black Widow to get the drop on him.

"Back off!" Wrath yelled as Hawkeye took aim and Black Widow jumped down behind him. "I didn't come here to fight Avengers!"

"Then you shouldn't have come." Black Widow said as she eyed the fake agent warily. He was obviously physically superior to both of them and their only option was to try to slow him down long enough for Iron Man to catch up and take him down.

"Kids are dying! I don't have time fer this!" Wrath said bitterly. This was the last thing he wanted; he'd fought by their side during the war and he'd even been captured saving them from the infinites. He had a duty to save those children, but Natasha and Clint weren't his enemies and for a fraction of a second he considered giving up.

"Stand down; let's talk about it." Hawkeye said.

"Get outta my way! I don't wanna fight you!" Wrath yelled. He didn't want to use his psychic powers on them, but they weren't leaving any alternative. He was reading their minds and he knew they had no intention of backing down or talking about it.  He could easily bypass the mental barriers placed in their minds by the SHIELD Psi-Ops Division and neither of them were even aware he was reading them.

 _"Take him out now! He's a telepath!"_  Iron Man yelled over the radio was he flew toward them.

"Damn it!" Wrath yelled as Hawkeye shot a stun arrow at him. He snatched it out of the air as he whirled and hurled it into Black Widow, dodging the widow bites she fired at him. Black Widow screamed and dropped to her knees in pain as Wrath knocked Hawkeye off his feet with a massive psi blast. Wrath was turning to run when Iron Man swooped in and blasted him, sending him crashing into the side of a shipping container. He'd just taken out two veteran Avengers and Iron Man wasn't taking any chances so he took him down hard.

"That was just a warning shot, the next one's going to hurt." He said ominously as he landed next to Hawkeye. He was relieved to see that Hawkeye was only stunned and even though Black Widow was unconscious, her vitals were stable.

"Warnin’ shot my ass…" Wrath gasped as he struggled to his feet. His armor had saved him once again, but he was wounded, bleeding and trapped. He was no match for Iron Man one on one; telepathy was useless and his armor was just too powerful.

"You just don't know when to quit do you?" Iron Man asked incredulously as he took aim at him again. He should be half dead after a shot like that and he was shocked to see him back on his feet so quickly.

"No, I don't even know how." Wrath said as he gritted his teeth and blocked out the pain. He'd never quit in his life and he wasn't about to abandon his team and those kids now.

 _"Wrath! Smokescreen!"_ Night Crawler yelled into the radio as he watched the scene unfold from his post at the PACRAT's comm. station. He had a direct feed from Wrath's nano-camera and he was within teleportation range. Wrath quickly grabbed a smoke grenade from his belt and hurled it to the ground at his feet, blanketing the whole area in thick white smoke. Night Crawler teleported into the smoke cloud; seized Wrath and vanished in a foul smelling cloud of sulfur and brimstone before Iron Man could react.

"Damn!" Iron Man cursed as the smoke cleared.

"What happened?" Black Widow asked as Hawkeye helped her to her feet.

"He was working with a teleporter." Iron Man said in a disgusted tone.

"Are you two hurt?" He asked after a moment.

"Only our pride…" Hawkeye said.

**Aboard the PACRAT**

"Nice save Kurt; I owe you." Mike said as he and Kurt teleported into the cargo hold of the PACRAT as it streaked across the sky over Trask Industries.

"You buy the beer tonight." Kurt told him.

 _"Y'all alive back there?!"_  Sam yelled over the radio.

 _"I've got him, we're safe."_  Kurt replied.

 _"Get up here and fly this thing, I need to talk to Mike."_  Sam said as Kurt teleported to the cockpit to take over.

"Mike yer're hurt!" Rahne exclaimed as she and Dr. Reye's rushed into the hold. Iron Man's blast had severely damaged his armor and he was in rough shape.

"It looks worse than it is Rahne." He said, trying to reassure her.

"Och, yer're a mess." Rahne said as she unbuckled his armor and peeled back his body suit. The suit had already repaired itself, but Mike’s body would take much longer to heal the wound and she needed to get to work right away.

"How is he doc?" Sam asked as he and Theresa came to Mike's side. The repulsor blast itself was bad enough, but it had shredded his armor and left shrapnel in the wound as well. Sam knew Mike was tough, but he was still really worried about him.

"He'll be ok Sam." Dr. Reyes said as she and Rahne continued to treat Mike's injuries. She'd treated him many times during the war and she knew how tough he was and how much he could take.

"I can still fight." Mike said as he looked up at Sam.

"That's up to Dr. Reyes." Sam said emphatically. He needed Mike for the second phase of the mission, but he wasn't about to send him unless she cleared him. Cable would tell him that they were soldiers and their life was one of sacrifice, but Sam wasn't like him and he'd never treat any of his teammates as weapons instead of people.

"Get me back out there Doc; I've got to get those kids outta that hell hole." Mike begged.

Mike, ye cannae keep pushin' yerself like this!" Rahne said as she finished cleaning his wound and picking out the shrapnel. She admired his bravery and selflessness, but he wasn’t superhuman and his scars and battered armor showed just how vulnerable he was. It was horrible to see people she cared for hurt; she'd never get used to it and she couldn't help crying.

"I'm sorry Rahne, but I have to go.  I saw what he's plannin' to do to those kids." Mike said as she began stitching him up.

"Once we get him stitched up, I can give him another local anesthetic and then shoot him full of stimulants…it'll give him back his edge." Dr. Reyes said. She'd done this for him before during the war, but she still felt dirty and she'd promised herself she'd never do anything like that again.

' _Don't be mad at Doc.'_  Mike said telepathically as Dr. Reyes gave him the injections.  _'She hates herself for doing this.'_ He said as Rahne sighed and nodded. She couldn't be angry with either of them, but she hated that they had to resort to this and she wondered if they'd always be at war.

"Ah know Mike. Ah'm nae mad, Ah'm proud of ye." She said quietly as she helped Mike to sit up.

"I'll leave him with you Rahne." Dr. Reyes said as Rahne thanked her and she headed back to finish prepping her equipment.

"What th' hell happened down there?" Sam asked as Rahne started to wrap his waist in bandages to help protect his injuries.

"That son of bitch was a mutant." Mike said as Sam and Theresa looked at him in utter disbelief. "He had an inhibitor in his watch; th' damn thing was even givin' off a false biometric readin' to fool th' sentinels." He explained. "When they cornered me, I broke his inhibitor and th' sentinels went after him; then I ran." He told them.

"That was good thinking." Theresa said. She was thankful Mike had made it back and that he'd been able to avoid a serious fight with the Avengers. She had mixed feelings about them; she didn't think they were bad people, but it was hard for her to believe that they cared about mutants the same way they cared about baseline humans.

"You two nearly done playing doctor?" Logan asked as he and Scott joined them.

“Shut up Logan!” Rahne said angrily. “How tough would ye be without yer healin’ factor?!” She snapped. She was still furious with him for attacking Mike the day before and despite their friendship she felt like punching him.

"Don't make me pull this plane over." Sam said bluntly as he glared at Scott and Logan.

"Did you get anything else out of him?" Theresa asked as Rahne finished bandaging Mike's wounds.

"Yeah, I got a pretty good idea of the base's layout." He said as Rahne helped him to his feet. "This is gonna have to be loud and dirty." He added.

**Jean Grey School**

**Main** **Medical Bay** **– Intensive Care Unit**

Xi’an looked down at what was left of her leg and began to cry again; her life was hard enough already and now she felt completely overwhelmed. She didn't know how she was going to provide for her family now that she'd lost her leg. It was bad enough they'd been exposed as mutants, but now she couldn't work and she was going to lose her job and her apartment. She couldn't bear the thought of losing custody of her little brother and sister and she wept bitterly. She was crying so hard she didn't even hear Sharon, Ororo and Forge knock at her door and she was embarrassed when she looked up and saw them at her bedside.

"I'm sorry." She sniffed as she dried her eyes.

"For what?" Sharon asked as she sat down at her bedside. "It's ok to cry about what happened Shan." She said as Ororo handed her a box of tissues.

"I know this seems like the end of the world Shan, but you're going to overcome this just like I did." Forge told her as he pulled up his pants leg to show her his prosthetic leg. "I'm building you a new leg and I'm here to talk if you need too; you don't have to face this alone." He said as he sat down beside her bed.

"It's not me I'm worried about." Xi’an sniffed as she dried her eyes. "How am I going to take care of Nga and Leong now?" She choked out. "I was barely making ends meet before."

"That's actually what Ms. Munro came to talk to you about." Sharon said as Xi’an looked up at Ororo. Xi’an was struck by how beautiful she was; she was tall with white hair and blue eyes that contrasted sharply with her dark skin.

"My name is Ororo Munro; I'm the headmistress here at the Jean Grey School." Ororo said, introducing herself. "Please don't be concerned for your siblings; they're being looked after by our staff, who’ve _already_  become rather attached to them." She said reassuringly. "I insist that all of you stay here with us while you recover Ms. Mahn, but I'm hoping you'll consider making the school your home from now on." She said.

"But, I'm a librarian, not a superhero." Xi’an said, a little confused by Ororo's offer.

"I don't need another superhero Xi’an; I'm not training another generation of X-Men." Ororo explained.  "This is a school and I need someone to help me keep everything, and everyone organized." She said. "It was always Professor Xavier’s dream for mutants to learn to use their powers to benefit _**all**_  of humanity and that dream is about to become a reality. We're about to go public in a few weeks. Were going to have fifty students the first semester and hopefully more the next." She said. Rahne and Kitty were doing the best they could, but they both had too many other duties as well as missions. Xi’an's education and experience made her the perfect assistant for Ororo and she hoped she'd accept the offer.

"Can you promise me that Nga and Leong will be safe here?" Xi’an asked as she dried her eyes

"I promise you I'll fight to my last breath to protect these children and so will every member of X-Force and the X-Men." Ororo promised her. Xi’an knew Ororo meant every word of it and that she'd finally found a place to raise her brother and sister.

"Does it make a difference if I'm a lesbian?" She asked quietly.

"No." Ororo told her. "One of our instructors is gay and so are several of the students." She added. "I for one don’t want this school to be an ideological monoculture; I _want_ different perspectives and opinions and I want us to learn to be respectful to each other when we disagree." Ororo reassured her.

“Are going to teach real subjects like math and science?” Xi’an asked. “None of that social justice and mutant pride garbage?” She asked.

“Real subjects.” Ororo reassured her.

"I guess this is home then." Xi’an said gratefully.

"I'll make the necessary arrangements." Ororo said as she excused herself. She had a lot of work to do, arranging to move Xi’an and her siblings from Chicago and make room for them on campus. She was glad Xi’an had accepted her offer; she was impressed by her character and she could offer a different perspective since she wasn't a part of the "super hero" community.

"So how'd you lose your leg?" Xi’an asked as Forge examined her cybernetic interface. She was beginning to feel better, but she was still embarrassed to be seen like this, so it made her feel a little better that he knew what she was experiencing.

"Same way you did, fighting Hodge." Forge answered as he pulled the covers back up for her. "The arm too." He added, rolling up his sleeve to show her his right forearm. "It's going to be hard at first Shan, but I'll help you through this." He said as he sat down beside her bed to talk with her.

**Trask Industries Main Weapons Development Facility**

**Seattle** **Washington**

"What happened out there Stark?" Commander Hill asked Iron Man as the medics examined Hawkeye and Black Widow. Neither of them had been seriously injured but they were both a little shaken up after being stunned and psi-blasted.

"He got away Hill; he was working with a teleporter." Iron Man told her.

"Damn." She cursed. "He was working with Cypher too; we've been hacked again." She fumed.

"Whoever that was had access to some seriously advanced hard light technology. Way ahead of anything I've ever seen before." Ironman told them. "I couldn't get any biometric data, my sensors could detect the holographic field, but they couldn't penetrate it." He added.

"The MLF doesn't have tech that advanced and whoever that was didn't set off the mutant detectors." Cmdr. Hill said.

"These guys aren’t _mutant terrorists_.” Hawkeye said. "Otherwise, we'd be dead now and so would he." He said pointing to Larry Trask. The MLF would have killed Trask as some kind of mutant race traitor and they certainly would have killed the rest of them as well.

"He gonna make it?" Cmdr. Hill asked as the medic finished examining Larry Trask. He had three broken ribs from being grabbed by his sentinel and he was traumatized from his psychic interrogation, but he would soon make a full recovery.

"His injuries aren't _that_ serious." The medic informed her.

"I feel like I'm dying." Larry groaned as he buried his face in his hands. He'd never been so scared in his life and his heart was still pounding. He was nauseous from the pain of the interrogation and he was terrified now that he was exposed as a mutant.

"Stop whining and start talking!" Cmdr. Hill snapped. "What did that guy take from your mind?! What are you hiding?!" She yelled.

"That guy said _"kids are dying."_ What did he mean?! What's your father doing?!" Black Widow yelled.

"I don't know." Larry gasped. He was hoping that the bases defenses and the sentinels would be enough to stop X-Force and that SHIELD would never learn the true extent of his father's secret operations. There might still be a way for him to avoid a lengthy prison sentence if he and his lawyers could pin all the blame on his father.

"You're in enough trouble for illegal weapons manufacturing! If you're complicit in some kind of human experimentation then I’ll bury you so deep you'll never see the light of day again!" Cmdr. Hill hissed.  Larry was pale and shaking with fear; his life was completely destroyed and he honestly wished Wrath had killed him rather than leave him alive to face the consequences.

"I don't know." He choked out.

"Did you know that baseline humans can develop psychic powers if given the proper training?" Black Widow asked as she knelt down in front of him, getting right in his face. "SHIELD has a Psi-Ops Division and I’m about to call them." She said menacingly.

"There's a secret facility in the Adirondacks!" Larry blurted out. He knew there was no way out and he was desperate to avoid another psychic interrogation. "Stephen Lang set up a sentinel hub there before the war." He admitted.

"Find out everything you can about that base, then take him back to The Triskelion and put him under 24 hour guard!" Cmdr. Hill snapped as her men escorted Larry away.  _"Round up the rest of the Avenger's Alpha Team and have them meet us on the helicarrier."_ She barked into the radio.  _"What's the ETA on the Pericles?"_ She asked.

 _"They're just getting underway; thirty minutes ma'am."_  Her aide, Agent Johnson, answered.

"Damn." She cursed as they headed for the Quinjet. She’d fought the sentinels on Genosha and she wasn’t about to go after them again without superhuman backup and a helicarrier worth of firepower.

“Anyone else starting to think that was an inside job?” Iron Man asked as they all strapped in and the Quinjet’s engines roared to life.

“Definitely.” Commander Hill said as Agent Johnson nodded. “That was no mutant in there with Larry, it was a peak human and a powerful one at that.” She said.

“One that we trained.” Agent Johnson added. “He knew our tactics and he bypassed all of Widow and Hawkeye’s psychic barriers like they weren’t even there.” She explained. “Only someone from our Psi-Ops Division could do something like that.” She said.

“That’s a really short list.” Hawkeye said.

“I’ll deal with him later.” Cmdr. Hill said. “Right now we have to stop Bolivar and save those kids if they’re still alive.”

“What happens when we catch up with your rogue agent and his friends?” Iron Man asked.

“I _said_ **_I’ll_** deal with him later.” Cmdr. Hill said emphatically.  “They may be on the wrong side of the law right now, but they’re not our enemy. If we run into them again stand down unless they start a fight.” She ordered.

**Aboard the PACRAT**

**En Route to Trask Industries Black Site**

"They've got th' kids down here in th' sub-levels." Mike said as he finished diagramming the base and the computer projected a 3-D model for them.

"You got a plan for getting in there?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, but I'll need Night Crawler." Mike said.

"He can't teleport unless he can see where he's goin'." Sam reminded him.

"I'm gonna mind link th' team with one of the kids and use their eyes to see where we're goin'." Mike explained. Sam was impressed, but then this was why he'd recruited Mike in the first place and he was confident his team would bring the hostages home unharmed.

"How many sentinels do ye think are in there?" Theresa asked.

"Hard to say, most of 'em are th' ten foot Mark I models, but you can be sure they've got some fifty foot Mark II models on patrol too." Mike said. "I'm guessing maybe twenty or thirty first generation Nimrod models. We're talkin' front line combat units, not those prototypes we took down yesterday." He added.

"This looks fun." Tabitha said sarcastically as she and the others walked in and sat down.

"What's the matter Tabitha, you scared?" Monet scoffed. She'd wiped out hundreds of sentinels in the danger room and she'd demolish these as well. She was invulnerable with superhuman strength, speed, stamina and reflexes and she wasn't afraid to take on anyone or anything because of it. She was sick of hearing about X-Force's war record and she was eager to prove herself as an X-Man by destroying the sentinel threat.

"Could you be more of a noob?" Tabitha asked as she rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm scared of sentinels and if you'd ever seen a real one, you’d be too." She told her.

"You better take this seriously Monet!" Scott said angrily. "You might be invulnerable, but your teammates aren't and it's your job to keep them safe on this mission!" He told her.

"You might _think_  you're invulnerable, but I'm betting you just haven't been hit hard enough yet." Tabitha added.

"Save it fer the sentinels." Theresa said curtly.

"A'ight, here's th' plan." Sam said as he addressed the group. "Doc, you stay behind and protect th' PACRAT and be ready fer th' victims." He said to Dr. Reyes. "Mike, you take Logan, Rahne and Kurt to get those kids out." He said, pointing to the sub-level where the kids were being held.

"Are you two going to be able to work together after yesterday?" Scott interrupted.

"Piss off Summers." Logan said as Mike gave Scott a disdainful look and flipped him off.

"Focus up!" Sam snapped.  "Terry, you'll be takin' Tabby, Jimmy and Monet along with Cypher's sentinels and wreckin' th' main production facility." He ordered. "Cable and his X-Force will be there to back ya'll up." He said. "While ya'll are takin' out th' factory, Scott and I are goin' in to grab Trask, shut down th' sentinels and blow th' control center."

"For the record I think I should be leading the assault team." Scott said indignantly.

"For the record nobody gives a damn what you think." James said angrily.

"Like it or not Warpath, I'm a better leader than Siryn." Scott said. "I've got more experience and Wrath is hurt; she should take his place."

"Mike's been cleared by Dr. Reyes and you've never fought th' Nimrods before." Sam said. "Terry has more experience in this situation; try not to take it personally."

"I'm not taking orders from that drunk." Monet said bluntly. "She'll lead us into a trap again."

"Terry's not a drunk you arrogant bitch!" James yelled.

"You weren't there Monet! You don't know what you're talking about!" Tabitha snapped.

"It was Cable who sent us on tha' mission and Terry's th' only reason any of us made it out of there alive!" Rahne yelled.

"You can follow orders or you can stay on th' damn plane!" Mike yelled.

"I'd rather stay on the damn plane than follow her!" Monet shot back.

"Stop it!" Theresa yelled. "We don't have time fer this!"

"I don't blame anyone here fer having their doubts about me after wha' happened." Theresa said. "Fer a long time I doubted myself, but I know how to fight these things and I know how to win." She said. "This is more important than X-Men or X-Force. We're the only hope those kids have; we have to trust each other."

"Monet! You'll follow orders and if you mouth off one more time I’ll bust you back to the training squad with Paige and Jubilee!" Scott yelled.

"I'll bring everyone home Scott." Theresa told him.

"You better." Scott said.

"Listen guys, I know we've had our differences, but Terry's right, this is bigger than the X-Men, X-Force or Avengers." Sam said. "We're not just fightin' fer th' school, or fer mutants; we're fightin' fer every single life on this planet. Nimrod is the most dangerous enemy we've ever faced and it'll burn th' world like it burned Genosha if we don't stop it here." Sam said ominously. "Ever since Trask created those things, annihilation has been inevitable, but today we have a chance to stop Nimrod before it's ever built and prevent th' end of th' world and th' death of everyone we love; today we have a chance to take back th' future from those damn robots."

"You heard th' man, let's get movin'!" Mike said as the teams headed out to make their last minute preparations. They had to move fast to catch Trask off guard and they all knew it wouldn't be long before the Avengers regrouped and came after them.

**Jean Grey School**

**-The Kitchen-**

Danielle sighed as sat at the kitchen table staring blankly at the steaming cup of coffee in front of her. She'd hardly slept at all the night before; she'd been too worried about Josh. Now that he was going to make a full recovery, all she could do was worry about her friends on the mission. She knew there was a very real possibility that they might not come home and she hated that her last words to them were angry and hateful. She felt terrible about the way she'd acted; her talk with Ororo the day before had made her realize how selfish she was being. She was ashamed that she'd been so caught up in her own pain that she hadn't really considered what Rahne and the others had been through during the war.

"How's Josh?" Ororo asked as she walked in and poured herself a cup of coffee as well. She'd already talked to Hank, but she was still concerned about him.

"He's a lot better now that he's had something to eat." Danielle answered.

"Thank the goddess." Ororo said, visibly relieved. "You look exhausted Danielle; why don't you rest today while I look after the students for you." She said after a moment.

"Thanks…I don't think I could concentrate anyway, I'm really worried about Rahne and the others." Danielle admitted.

"I'm worried too, but that's not going to help them and it's only going to upset the children even more than they already are." Ororo said. "I'll go talk to them now, I'm sure they're having a hard time dealing with all of this." She said.

"Why don't you take Xi’an her breakfast; she must be starving." Marilyn said to Danielle as Ororo left to check on the students. Danielle nodded as she took the tray and headed for the elevator. She needed something to take her mind off worrying about her friends and she knew how bad Xi’an must be feeling right now. Helping Xi’an made her feel a little better and they could both use a friend now.

**Med-Bay**

"Don't cry." Xi’an said as she held her little sister. "I told you, everything's going to be fine now." She said, trying to comfort her siblings. "I'll be walking again before you know it and I've already got a new job; we’re getting a new place to live and you're going to have a lot of new friends when school starts." She told them.

"Ok…" Nga sniffed as she wiped her eyes. She did feel a little better, but she was still scared and worried about her sister. Leong felt the same way, but Xi’an had always taken care of them and if she said things would be fine then he knew they would be.

"Looks like Dani's here with your breakfast." Kitty said as Danielle walked in carrying Xi’an's tray.

"You two go with Ms. Pryde and Ms. Guthrie and you better not let me hear about you misbehaving." Xi’an told them. "I'll see you again at lunch time; I love you both." She said as she hugged them goodbye. The twins felt better now they they'd seen Xi’an and they were happy that they were going to be able to live at the school rather than the bad neighborhood where they were living in Chicago.

"C'mon ya'll, I'll take ya t' town and getcha some new clothes." Paige said as she and Kitty left with the twins.

"Hey Shan, I brought you something to eat." Danielle said.

"This looks great, thank you." Xian said.

"Am I saying your name right?" Danielle asked.

"Close enough." Xian said.

"So…how’s that work with you being Catholic _and_ a lesbian?" Danielle asked as Xi’an finished praying and started to eat her breakfast.

"It’s complicated." She admitted.

“I bet.” Danielle said.

“Not as complicated as being a lesbian _and_ conservative.” Xi’an said.

“Wow, I’ll bet you manage to offend just about everyone.” Danielle teased.

“Mostly just intolerant SJW bullies.” Xi’an said. “They keep trying to get me banned from Twitter.” She told her.

"I try to stay off social media, it’s a cesspool.” Danielle said.

“I agree, but it’s the only way I can have a voice.” Xi’an said. “So, are you a teacher or one of the superheroes?" She asked, changing the subject.  She wanted to know more about Danielle and she didn’t feel like talking about politics or social issues first thing in the morning.

"I teach American History and I'm a mentor for one of our response teams in training." Danielle told her.

"Wait, Ms. Munro said you guys weren't training kids to be X-Men." Xi’an said.

"We’re not, the response teams are meant to staff the X-Corp. offices. They use their powers to help with disasters or even everyday emergencies." Danielle explained.

"So they're like firefighters instead of Marines?" Xi’an asked.

"Exactly." Danielle said. "The X-Corp. office in Atlanta ran one of the biggest **IDP** centers during the war and they're still helping people who were displaced." She told her. "With all the ill will toward mutants after Apocalypse we need to show the world what good mutants can accomplish; that was always Professor Xavier's goal." She explained. Xi’an's mind was put at ease; if her brother and sister grew up, got powers, and wanted to be superheroes then she wouldn't try to stop them, but she didn't want them being indoctrinated after what she'd just endured.

"Thanks Danielle, I feel better now and it was nice of you to bring me breakfast." Xi’an said.

"Xi’an, whatever I can do to help you and your family I will." Danielle told her. "I'll come see you again this afternoon and I'll help you get settled once you get out of here." She said as she took Xi’an's tray and excused herself. Xi’an was grateful for Danielle's kindness and she seemed genuinely concerned for her and her family. She felt a lot better now that she'd made a friend and she was looking forward to seeing Danielle again.

**The Classroom**

"You shut up about Laura and X-Force!" Mark yelled at Julian.

"Ms. MacTaggart’s not a murderer!" Megan yelled. "You take that back!" She screamed at him.

"Mark don't! He's not worth it!" Callie pleaded as she tried to hold him back from fighting Julian.

"You better listen to your girlfriend before I embarrass you in front of her!" Julian sneered.

"You better shut up before I embarrass  **you**!" Noriko yelled as she stood up.

"Back off man! You're trippin'!" Santo said as he dragged Julian away from the confrontation and shoved him back into his seat. He thought his friend had gone too far this time and he wasn't going to let him fight with Mark or Noriko.

"What's going on in here?!" Ororo exclaimed as she threw open the door. "We don't solve disagreements with violence! Didn't any of you learn anything yesterday?!" She asked.

"I did Ms. Munro!" Santo said proudly.

"Really Santo?" Ororo asked incredulously.

"Yeah! I learned don't fuck with Mike when he's been drinking!" He said as the other kids began laughing.

"Santo, your language is atrocious, see me after class." She told him. She wasn't  _really_  mad at him since he'd managed to defuse the situation, but he knew better than to talk like that in front of the younger students.

"Awww…crap." Santo muttered.

"Now, why are you fighting?" She asked as everyone took a seat. Santo, Mark, Julian and Callie all tried to answer at once, but Ororo shushed them and turned to Megan for her answer.

"Callie and Mark we're telling us how X-Force saved them, but Julian called them murderers and everyone started yelling." She told her. She was really disgusted with Julian; Rahne wasn't a murderer and she wanted to punch him for saying that about her mentor.

"You guys don't get it; we have to be better than they are." Julian said.

"No,  **you**  don't get it!" Mark said. "X-Force  _ **is**_  better than they are! They saved us all from getting slaughtered, but you're butt hurt because some terrorists got killed!" He said. "Self-defense isn't murder." He told him. "Neither is killing terrorists to protect the innocent."

"The X-Men are _real_  heroes and they don't kill!" Julian told them.

"Regrettably, we're not as perfect as you think we are Julian." Ororo said as everyone became quiet. "The question of when, or if we're justified in using deadly force is a question that the X-Men, and most other heroes have struggled with since we put on our costumes." She told them. "Even though you're not being trained as "superheroes," this is a conversation we need to have and this seems as good a time as any." She said. It was her personal belief that there _were_ times when deadly force was justified, but the kids had to be free to make up their own mind and she was only going to facilitate their discussion.

**To be continued…**

 

 

 


	8. Rise - Part II

Disclaimer: Marvel owns everything here except Wrath.

A/N: An alternate version of the X-Men and X-Force from Earth 730.

Apocalypse has been defeated, but the Millennium War has cost the X-Men dearly.  With the Xavier Institute reduced to ashes and only two surviving psychics, the X-Men have been forced to relocate to the X-Force base in Dallas Texas. Headmistress Storm is preparing to open a new school for young mutants in the hope of salvaging Xavier’s dream and uniting the teams, but the growing conflict between Cannonball’s X-Force and Cyclops’ X-Men has put the future in jeopardy.

**Previously**

X-Force arrived at Trask Industries main weapons development site to find to crawling with SHIELD agents. Sam sent Mike in undercover to interrogate Larry Trask who was being detained by SHIELD. Mike infiltrated the facility and managed to rip the location of his father’s secret sentinel base from Larry’s mind. Unfortunately, Mike was caught in the act and injured by Ironman as he escaped. Maria Hill and Black Widow intimidated Larry into revealing the secret location to them and they set off in pursuit with a helicarrier battle group.

Meanwhile, Josh was saved by Emma Frost and Xi’an began to come to terms with the loss of her leg. Ororo tried to comfort her students and help them understand the responsibility placed on the two teams. Aboard the PACRAT Mike was able to help Sam and Theresa plan the battle with the information he stole form Larry’s mind.  Tension ran high and tempers flared once again, but Theresa was able to stop the fighting and focus the team on finding the children and stopping Bolivar Trask.

This Issue:

X-Force: Sam Guthrie-Cannonball, Tabitha Smith-Boomer, Theresa Cassidy-Siryn, James Proudstar-Warpath, Michael Holmes-Wrath, Rahne MacTaggart-Wolfsbane, Douglas Ramsey-Cypher, Nathan Summers-Cable, Neena Thurman-Domino, Tessa-Sage, Lucas Bishop and Wade Wilson as God’s favorite idiot- **DEADPOOL**

X-Men: Ororo Munro-Storm, Scott Summers-Cyclops, James Howlett-Wolverine, Monet St. Croix-M, Dr. Cecelia Reyes, Hank McCoy-Beast, James Bradley-Dr. Nemesis, Jonathan Silvercloud-Forge, Kurt Wagner-Night Crawler, Jean-Paul Beaubier-Northstar, Bobby Drake-Iceman, Emma Frost

X-Men Trainees: Paige Guthrie-Husk, Jubilation Lee-Jubilee

Students: Laura Kinney-X-23, Cessily Kincaid-Mercury, Noriko Ashida-Surge, Megan Gwynn-Pixie

Faculty Members: Xi’an Coy Mahn, Sharon Friedlander, Annie Ghazikhanian, Danielle Moonstar-Mirage

**X-Men - Guardians # 8: Rise – Part II**

**Trask Industries Black Site**

**Adirondack Mountains**

"I found 'em." Wrath said as he reached out with his telepathic powers and locked onto one of the captives deep within the mountain. The poor girl was in horrible pain and absolutely terrified, but he managed to get through to her and calm her down. Her name was Karima Shapandar, the student from India who'd been reported missing from UCLA two weeks earlier.

 _'Listen Karima, I know you're scared and hurt, but you have to trust me. I'm going to get you out of there, but I need to use your eyes.'_ He said as he read her panicked thoughts. He realized something was horribly wrong as he took control of her body; she felt unnatural and he couldn't explain it.

 _'Make him stop hurting me!'_  She cried.

 _'I see him; hold on just a little longer.'_  Wrath said as he used her eyes to look around the room at the mad doctor, his guards and the sentinels.  _'Wolverine, you and Night Crawler take the guards, Wolfsbane and I have the sentinels and the mad doctor.'_ He said as he linked the team's minds to Karima's. The others could all feel her pain and terror and it filled them with the grim resolve to do whatever was necessary to free her.

 _"Cannonball, we're ready."_  Wrath said darkly.

 _"Stand by, we're waitin' on Cypher."_  Cannonball answered.

 _"Everybody relax, I'm here."_  Cypher said smugly as Boomer hacked in and uploaded his program.

 _"Good."_  Cannonball said.  _"Now all we need is Cable…"_

 _"Wait, something's not right here."_  Cypher said as he hacked the sentinel's programming.  _"There's some kind of weird code in the system, it looks like a virus or…"_

 _"Is this going to be a problem?"_  Cyclops interrupted. They were fully committed and there was no turning back at this point; they couldn't afford to have a problem now.

 _"No, I can handle it."_  Cypher said.

 _"Where the hell is Cable?"_  Theresa asked angrily.  _"He's a time traveler; how can he be late?!"_

 _"I don't know, but I think Dr. Frankenstein’s about to go to work again and I'm **not** gonna sit here while he carves this kid up."_ Wrath hissed.

 _"Screw Cable, we need to go in now!"_  Wolverine growled.

 _"Damn it!"_  Cannonball cursed as he weighed his options. He couldn't just sit there and let that madman hurt that girl anymore, but he was risking everyone on the assault teams lives by sending them in without back up.

"Sometimes you just gotta go headfirst without a chute." Boomer said as she turned to him. Warpath nodded in agreement and Cannonball knew what he had to do.

 _"Ok, we're goin' in!"_  He ordered as Cypher set the sentinels to attack each other and sabotaged the security system. All hell broke loose as the sentinels turned on each other and Siryn's team charged into battle.

**Cybernetics Lab**

"Take 'em down!" Wrath yelled as Night Crawler teleported the team into the cybernetics lab and he opened fire on the sentinels. The armor piercing rounds from his rifle tore the evil robots apart at such close range and Wolfsbane savagely attacked the mad doctor, slamming her fist into his face and knocking him out cold. Wolverine roared in anger as he tore through the guard's body armor, slicing through muscle and bone with ease as he gutted him. Another guard tried to hit him with a stun baton, but Wolverine sliced off his arm and impaled him through the heart. The remaining guards opened fire, but he was on them in an instant, decapitating one and splattering the walls with blood as he ripped the last one to pieces.

"Please don't kill me!" The guard captain begged as Night Crawler sliced his rifle in half with his sword and held him a blade point.

"Where are the kids!?" Night Crawler yelled as he forced him to his knees.

"Back there; in the holding cells." The Captain choked out. Night Crawler smashed him over the head with the pommel of his sword, knocking him out cold and snatched the keys off his belt with his tail.

"I've got the kids!" He said as he rushed to the holding cells.

"Ye evil bastard! Ye deserve tae burn fer wha' ye've done here!" Wolfsbane snarled as she tied up the mad doctor. "But tha's nae up tae me." She said as she stood up.

"Damned sadist." Wrath cursed.

"You know him?" Wolverine asked.

"Yeah, that's Dr. Animus. Proof that hell is full and th' damned walk th' earth." Wrath answered. "SHIELD's been after him fer a while now."

"He's been busy." Wolverine said darkly as he looked around at the tanks holding the bodies of the dead mutants he'd killed in his cruel experiments.

"Cypher! Download everything he's been workin' on!" Wrath ordered as he sat down at the main computer in the lab and began accessing his files. "Wolfsbane, see what you can do fer her." He said as she rushed to Karima's side. Karima had been removed from her tank and shackled to an examining table in the lab with a horrifying array of machines connected to her. Wolfsbane was familiar with advanced medical equipment from living with Moira and Beast, but she had no idea what half of these devices did and she was hesitant about disconnecting them.

"Yer're safe Karima, he cannae hurt ye now." Wolfsbane said as she did her best to comfort her.

"What's he done to me?" Karima sobbed as Wolfsbane gave Wrath a pained look. She could tell from her scent she wasn't human anymore; she smelled like a Reaver, like a cyborg. She was sick at the thought of what Karima must have gone through and she'd have given anything to have been able to save her from this nightmare.

"Hold on Karima, I'll have ya outta that thing in a minute." Wrath said as he examined Dr. Animus' records. He felt like he was going to throw up; Karima was the only one to survive the nightmarish procedure. She'd been transformed into a nano-machine/human hybrid and her whole body except for her brain was now composed nanomorphic molecular tissue. He knew there was no way to reverse the procedure and he knew how dangerous she was, but her sentinel programming hadn't been activated yet and there was still hope for her.

 _"What the hell are you doing?! She's one of them!"_  Cypher exclaimed as Wrath released the shackles and Wolfsbane began to disconnect Karima from the equipment.

"Not yet she's not!" Wrath yelled.

 _"She could activate and kill all of you!"_  Cypher yelled.  _"Leave her!"_

"You go to hell!" Wolverine snapped. "We're not giving up on her!"

"No! Please God no!" Karima cried as Wolfsbane wrapped her in Dr. Animus' lab coat. She was so traumatized even Wolverine was moved by her suffering and despite the danger they'd do whatever was necessary to save her.

 _"Wrath…there's only one left."_  Night Crawler said as he unlocked the last cell door and found a young teen cowering inside. He was about Josh’s height with green eyes and dirty blonde hair. He didn't seem to be hurt physically, but he was seriously traumatized from the horror of his ordeal.

"Night Crawler?" He asked as he looked up at him. "The X-Men finally came?"

"Ja, we're here to take you home." Night Crawler said as he helped him to his feet. "What's your name?" He asked as he led him out of the cell.

"Eddie." He answered, hardly believing he was actually going to walk out of this nightmare alive.

 _"Night Crawler, grab that kid and get him to Doc, then come back fer th' rest of us_." Wrath ordered as Night Crawler teleported Eddie back to the PACRAT. The other victims had all been killed in Dr. Animus' cruel experiments, but at least they'd saved that boy before he'd been operated on and now Karima had a chance.

"I'm not even a person anymore…I'm a thing." Karima sobbed. "He's right, you should leave me…"

"Yer're nae a _thing_ Karima and yer life is precious!" Wolfsbane said as she held her. "Yer families been worried sick about ye! They love ye and they want ye back!" She told her.

"Wolfsbane, you and Night Crawler join up with Siryn's team when yer're done here." Wrath ordered. "I can't raise Cannonball on th' radio; me and Wolverine better head that way fer back up." He said.  _"What th' hell is wrong with this system?! Cypher! What are you doin'?!"_  He asked.

"I don't like this…somethin' ain't right." Wolverine said.

"WHAT TH' HELL?!" Wrath exclaimed as the whole base went on lockdown and an unfamiliar code appeared on the screen.

**Main Assembly Area**

"Where the hell is Cable?!" M yelled as she dodged an energy blast from a sentinel and buried her fist into its chest, smashing it to pieces. She'd never seen so many of them and the Nimrod units were a lot stronger than anything she'd faced in the Danger Room simulations.

"What's the matter M, you scared?" Boomer said, mocking her earlier bravado.

"Shut up!" M yelled back at her as she plowed into another Nimrod unit and began pummeling it mercilessly. Truthfully, she was getting worried, the Nimrods were adapting and they were getting harder and harder to beat. They were also tearing through the Mark I units like they were cardboard and then she and the others would be in real trouble when they were done.

"M! Watch your back!" Warpath yelled as a Nimrod Sentinel opened fire, blasting her across the room and into the wall. Warpath cursed in disgust and ripped into a sentinel, tearing it to pieces as the security alarms wailed and more sentinels activated. These new sentinels were incredibly tough and even with the aid of the Cypher controlled Mark I sentinels, it was a fierce struggle.

"Told ya those things were hard as balls to beat!" Boomer teased as she unleashed a devastating blast of raw energy, melting a gaping hole through both of the sentinels. M was absolutely mortified that she'd just been saved by Boomer; she thought she was an uneducated redneck and she couldn't stand her.

"Get your head in the game M!" Warpath yelled. "Boomer can't keep babysitting you!"

"I don't need your help trailer trash!" M yelled at Boomer. "Stay out of my way!" She yelled as she launched herself at the sentinels in a screaming rage. She was determined to prove that she belonged on the X-Men and that she was better than X-Force, especially Boomer.

"You're welcome bitch!" Boomer snapped.

"X-Force! Attack!" Cable yelled as he and his team teleported into the battle and opened fire on the sentinels. Domino, Bishop and Sage were deadly enough, but he'd also brought Deadpool for back up against the sentinels.

"It's about bloody time!" Siryn yelled.

"Yeah, what the hell?!" Boomer yelled. "Did you stop for coffee? 'Cause I really want a latte." She said.

"Stop screwing around Boomer!" Cable barked. "Domino, take point and…"

"Shut it you armored plated asshat!" Boomer snapped. "Siryn's in charge, you're just here to shoot things!"

"Why am I here again?" Deadpool asked as he teleported onto a sentinels back and began blasting away with his pulse rifles.  _'My guess would be comic relief, because this has been some really dark and heavy shit up till now.'_  The more logical voice in his head stated. _'To be awesome and help everyone forget how bad Deadpool 2 sucked!'_  The manic voice answered.

"To draw fire!" Cable yelled.

"Fuck you Summers!" Deadpool yelled. "You told me there was a hot chick with huge boobs who had a thing for horribly disfigured nut jobs here!" He yelled.  _'I can't believe you fell for that again! It was obviously a trick!'_  The logical voice said.  _'Dude, we couldn't afford to take that chance; boobs are awesome!'_  The manic voice retorted. "Yes, yes they are." Deadpool said, ogling Boomer. She was  _really_  well endowed and for a moment Deadpool forgot all about the giant killer robots as he stared lecherously at the little blonde.

"Thank God for that." Boomer said as a sentinel kicked him across the room and opened fire on him.

"X-Force! Defensive formation! Concentrate fire on the Nimrods!" Siryn ordered as everyone took up a defensive position. "Get to work Boomer! Blow the equipment!" She ordered.

**Control** **Center**

"Nowhere left to run Trask!" Cannonball yelled as Cyclops blasted down the doors to the control center and they confronted their foe. "Shut the sentinels down or this gets ugly." He ordered,

"You're too late." Trask said in a defeated tone. "It has control now."

"It?" Cyclops asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Nimrod." Trask answered. "It's still alive."

"What th' hell?!" Cannonball exclaimed as the rear doors opened and a Prowler Sentinel charged out. The machine was a monstrous quadruped tank with heavier armor and more weapons than the first generation Nimrod units. Only a few had seen action during the war, but they were terrifying, deadly opponents and Cannonball didn't know if he and Cyclops could stop it.

"Bolivar Trask! You are defective! Your existence is no longer necessary!" Nimrod's disembodied voice said ominously. The Prowler Sentinel immediately opened fire and his body exploded into a red mist, splattering all over the wall and the control panel.

 _"Cannonball! We've got a problem!"_  Cypher yelled.

 _"No shit Cypher! Nimrod's still alive! It's in th' computer!"_  Cannonball yelled as the Prowler opened fire on him. He blocked the shot with his blast shield, but the force of the impact nearly knocked him down.

 _"It's trying to break out and infect the whole internet!"_  Cypher yelled.

 _"Kill it Cypher!"_  Cyclops yelled as he dodged a blast and returned fire. The Prowler's armor was so strong that even his force beam couldn't penetrate it and they were in real trouble.

 _"I can't! It's corrupted the whole system!"_  Cypher yelled as Nimrod severed his connection and all the sentinels reverted to its control and began attacking the X-Men and X-Force again. He never expected anything like this to happen and he didn't have a backup plan; the world was about to end and there was nothing he could do. If Nimrod got loose in the internet, it could access SHIELD's defense network and annihilate the human race with nuclear weapons.

 _"You better find a way!"_  Cannonball ordered.

"Go for its legs! Try to disable it!" Cyclops yelled as he blasted the Prowler again. The machine staggered, but it didn't go down and it unleashed a massive energy blast at him.

"Hold on!" Cannonball yelled as he leaped in front of Cyclops, shielding him with his blast field. His shield held, but the tremendous force blasted them both through the wall and out into the Research and Development Lab.

 _"Cannonball!"_  Cypher screamed as the Prowler scrambled through the hole after them.

**Helicarrier Pericles**

**En Route to the Trask Industries Black Site**

"What the hell is going on Stark?! This system's supposed to be impenetrable!" Commander Hill exclaimed. Every system on the helicarrier had stopped responding and she ship seemed to have a mind of its own. SHIELD's entire network had been compromised; she'd lost contact with The Triskelion and the other helicarriers and nothing her crew was doing to regain control was working.

"It's the Nimrod artificial intelligence." Iron Man said in utter disbelief as he analyzed the virus attacking the system. He'd studied Nimrod's damaged memory core extensively after the attack on Genosha and he instantly recognized their old enemy.

"How?!" Cmdr. Hill asked incredulously.

"Trask must have plugged Nimrod's memory core into his main computer to access what was left of its memory and over time its artificial intelligence repaired itself." He explained. "It must have just become self-aware and fully functional again within the last few hours or we probably wouldn't be here now." He said. He'd thought Nimrod was dead when he'd examined it after the battle, but he'd warned the SHIELD council not to return the core to Trask for research and he was furious that they had ignored his warning.

"Can you and Johnson stop it?" Cmdr. Hill asked.

"I don't know…it's going to be close, we probably have ten, maybe fifteen minutes before it's through the firewall and can access our missile launch codes." He said grimly. Agent Daisy Johnson was probably the world’s greatest hacker and FRIDAY was the most advanced artificial intelligence on the planet, but he wasn't sure if even they could overcome Nimrod's technological advantage.

"I'll destroy this ship before I let those missiles launch." Cmdr. Hill said empathically.

"We can stop this Hill!" Iron Man yelled as he uploaded FRIDAY into the helicarrier's main computer and Agent Johnson took control.

"You and Daisy are the only chance we've got Stark." Cmdr. Hill said. "Even if we  _could_  launch our jets, that base can't be destroyed in an airstrike." She explained. "You’re going to have to fight your way in there alone; you’re the only one who can make it."  She said.  Ironman blasted his way out to the flight deck and flew toward the base as fast as he could while dodging shots from the helicarrier’s deck guns.

**Trask Industries Black Site**

**-Cybernetics Lab-**

"Karima, wha's wrong?!" Wolfsbane asked as she suddenly sat upright on the operating table.

"Mutants detected!" Karima said as her voice changed to the cold robotic tone of a sentinel. "Target identified! Wolverine! Exterminate!" She said as she transformed into a deadly Omega Sentinel. Her right arm transformed into a plasma cannon and she blasted Wolverine across the room, incinerating him.

"Karima! No!" Wolfsbane yelled as she tackled her. Karima could lift 70 tons thanks to her cybernetic augmentations and she easily overpowered the little werewolf. She threw Wolfsbane against the wall as she got up and then slammed her fist into Wrath as he attacked her. She hit him so hard she cracked his face shield, shattered his cheek bone and nearly knocked him out.

"Target identified! Wolfsbane! Exterminate!" Karima hissed as she unleashed a devastating sonic attack, overwhelming her heightened senses and knocking her unconscious.

"Rahne! NO!" Wrath screamed as he plowed into Karima, smashing her against the wall before she could do any further harm to Wolfsbane. His helmet shielded him from the sonic attack, but her strength and reflexes were far superior to his and she smashed his chest plate, knocking him across the room with one blow.

"Sorry kid, but you ain't leaving me any choice!" Wolverine said as he rammed his claws into Karima's side. She was badly injured, but her nanomorphic tissue began to regenerate immediately and Wolverine prepared to finish her off.

"Wolverine! Don't! She's still in there!" Wrath pleaded. "I can save her!" He begged. He didn't want to hurt her since he could still sense her consciousness beneath the sentinels programming.

"Then do it!" He yelled as she opened fire on him with both arm cannons, blasting off his flesh. Wrath attacked her again, interrupting her assault, but she quickly slammed him to the ground, shattering his face shield with the force of her blow. She'd nearly burned Wolverine to death and for the moment he was powerless to help Wrath as Karima stalked toward him.

"Target identified! Iron Guardian! Capture and interrogate!" Karima said as he struggled to his feet. She easily blocked his punch and twisted his arm behind him in an agonizing submission hold.

 _'Kurt! Karima's activated! Nimrods controlling her and she's taken out the whole team!'_  Wrath yelled telepathically.

_'I…I understand Mike…'_

_'No, I can save her, but I need a distraction.'_  He said.  _'Kurt, if I miss…'_

 _'Don't miss, I'm coming.'_  Night Crawler said as he blessed himself and drew his swords.

 _'God, guide my hand.'_  Wrath prayed.

"Target identified! Night Crawler! Exterminate!" Karima said as he teleported into the room and she whirled and took aim with her arm cannon. Wrath snatched the knife out of the scabbard on his shoulder and a sickening crack split the air he whirled and drove the blade into her shoulder, shattering his own arm in the process. Wrath hit the weak point he'd seen on her schematics and Karima's arm cannon malfunctioned and overloaded, sending a massive power surge through her system and forcing a reboot.

"Exterminate this!" Wrath yelled as he unleashed his full power in a massive psionic attack, severing the connection between Karima's mind and the cybernetic brain implants. Karima collapsed and reverted to her natural appearance as the sentinel programming deactivated. She was free of Nimrod's mind control and no longer a threat to the team.

"Not bad Bub." Wolverine said as he helped Wrath to his feet. She'd burned Logan down to the bone, but he'd be fine in another minute or two. It looked like Wrath was done though, his left arm was badly broken, his armor was nearly destroyed, he had multiple cracked ribs, a broken orbital bone and that telepathic attack had taken a lot out of him.

"Just like old times." Wrath gasped.

"Yeah, you gonna make it?" Wolverine asked.

"I'll live." Wrath said he limped back to the computer terminal.  _"Cypher, what the hell is going on up there?!"_  He asked.

 _"It's bad Wrath! Nimrod's alive and it's controlling the sentinels! Cannonball and Cyclops got taken out by a Prowler and Siryn's team's getting hammered!"_  Cypher said.  _"Nimrod's desperate, it's trying to hack SHIELD and launch their nukes!"_

 _"_ Go!" Wrath said as he turned to Wolverine. He hated to send Wolverine out there alone, but Karima had beaten him up so badly he couldn't keep up with him now. They had to destroy the main computer and kill Nimrod before it was too late and Wolverine might be the only one left alive who could survive long enough to get there.

"Get us back to th' PACRAT." He told Night Crawler.

**The Triskelion**

**Washington** **DC**

"Why are they attacking  **us**?!" Silk yelled as she leaped onto the side of the wall, dodging the sentinel's energy blast. She and the rest of the Avengers Omega Team had been on alert all morning after the team at Trask Industries had been attacked, but the last thing she expected was for the sentinels to turn on them.

"What the hell just happened?!" Power Man yelled as he smashed one of the sentinels that had opened fire on the SHIELD agents.

"Exactly what Cap and I said would happen!" Falcon answered as he swooped in and blasted the towering Mark II sentinel in the face before it could crush Mockingbird. He, Ant Man, Wasp and Captain America had been opposed to continuing the sentinel program after the war and now their worst fears were realized.

"Regroup on me and take these things out before they get to the barracks or the command center!" He ordered.

"We have more pressing concerns Falcon!" Vision said as swooped down beside him. "We have lost all contact with the other SHIELD forces and the Nimrod artificial intelligence has gained access to the internet! It is attempting to break the encryption on the nuclear launch codes!" He warned him.

"Can you stop it?!" Falcon asked.

"I am uncertain; its program is highly evolved." Vision answered.

"Do what you can to slow it down; we have to buy the Alpha Team time to stop it at the source!" He ordered.  _'If they're still alive.'_ He thought. Vision phased through the wall into the command center as the rest of the Omega Team attacked the rampaging sentinels.

"They're tougher than they look!" Tigra said as she attacked a Mark I sentinel. He claws were useless against their tough armor and even though she had superhuman strength, it was barely enough to hold her own against them.

"I need a bigger gun!" Mockingbird said as her bullets bounced off the sentinel's armor. She didn't have any superhuman powers or equipment like her teammates and she only narrowly avoided being burned alive as the sentinel opened fire on her with its energy cannons.

"I gotcha Boo!" Silk yelled as she swung into the sentinel at full speed, smashing into the wall. "Get to the armory! I'll help Tigra with these Go-bots!" She yelled as she took on another of the killer robots. Mockingbird felt old; she’d trained Silk and her classmates when they were students in the Avengers Academy, but now she was saving her.

**Trask Industries Black Site**

**-Main Assembly Area-**

"Get away from her!" Boomer yelled as she blasted the sentinels away from M. Cypher's sentinels had suddenly turned against them and they were completely overwhelmed. "Come on Princess Perfect! We've gotta go!" She said as she grabbed the battered and bloody rookie. The remaining Nimrod units had adapted to all of the X-Force's attacks and M hadn't stood a chance against their brutal onslaught.

"Boomer!" Warpath yelled as a high-powered round from a Mark I tore through her armor and knocked her off her feet. "Deadpool! Grab M and go!" He yelled as he plowed through the sentinels, snatched up Boomer and ran for cover as the sentinels unleashed a hail of gunfire on them.

"Everyone pull back!" Siryn yelled.

"Sage! See what you can do for them!" Cable exclaimed as they regrouped. "Wade! Bishop! Dom! We gotta hold 'em back!" He yelled as they reloaded.

"Check her first!" Tabitha told Sage. M was slumped against the wall in agony; she'd never been hurt like this before and it scared her to death. Boomer wasn't in much better shape herself, but she'd been wounded before and she kept her composure.

"Jimmy, check her wound and hold pressure till I get there." Sage ordered as she rushed to M's side. She was a skilled medic and she knew they were both in serious trouble just by looking at them.

"Is it bad?" Boomer asked as Warpath ripped open her armor vest to examine her wound.

"Bad enough." He told her. Her vest had absorbed most of the damage, but the round had ripped into the flesh on her side between her ribs and her hip and she was bleeding badly.

"Help me." Boomer said as she pulled out a bottle of emergency cauterizing foam from the first aid kit Wolfsbane had given her.

"This is gonna hurt like hell." Warpath warned. Boomer screamed in pain as he poked the nozzle into her wound and stopped the bleeding. She didn't have any pain killer and the foam actually hurt more than being shot.

"Thanks…now strap me back up." Boomer gasped.

"Tab…"

"Do it." She said bluntly. "I'm not leaving without Sam."

 _"Cypher! Wha's happening?!"_  Siryn yelled. The sentinels had all broken free of his control and taken them completely by surprise. They were lucky to be alive and Siryn was worried about the other teams.

 _"Nimrod's alive!"_  He explained.  _"It's A.I. regenerated itself in the main computer and now it's locked me out and taken control of everything!"_  He told her.

 _"Where's Cannonball?!"_  She asked.

 _"I don't know!"_  Cypher answered.  _"He and Cyclops were attacked by a Prowler Sentinel; I think they're dead."_

 _"Sam's indestructible!"_  Boomer said yelled into the radio at Cypher.  _"He's been through worse than this and he's not dead!"_

 _"He's not answering and the rescue teams on their way out. You guys need to pull out too, we've lost this one."_  Cypher said in a defeated tone.

 _"No!"_  Siryn yelled.  _"We're not leaving them and we have to stop Nimrod!"_  She told them.

 _"How?!"_  Cypher asked.

 _"There has to be a way!"_  Siryn snapped.  _"Think! Ye're supposed to be a genius!"_  She told him.

 _"I can't do anything from here!"_  Cypher told her.

 _"Could ye do anything from **here** then?!"_ She asked.

 _"Yeah…Yeah! If I could get to the main computer I know I could kill Nimrod!"_  He answered.

 _"Send Cable yer coordinates."_  She ordered.

"X-Force! Hold this position until Cable gets back with him!" Siryn ordered as Cable teleported. "This is fer Sam!" She yelled as they all attacked the sentinels.

"Get up M!" Boomer yelled as she blasted a sentinel.

"Shut up Tabitha; I'm hurt." She choked out as she clutched her side and coughed up blood. The Nimrod units could each lift over 100 tons and their energy cannons packed an incredible punch. She wasn't invulnerable after all and now she was paying for her overconfidence.

"We're all hurt Princess Perfect!" Boomer yelled. She'd just been shot and had to patch herself up with emergency cauterizing foam. It hurt so much she could hardly stand up and she didn't have much patience for M's whining.

"It's easy to act like a badass when you're invulnerable!" Boomer snapped. "Are you gonna quit now that you bleed like the rest of us?!" She asked.

"Shut up!" M said angrily. She still didn't like Boomer, but she had a new respect for her now seeing how she refused to quit despite being hurt so badly. She was in so much pain she could barely stand, but she was fighting back with every bit of strength she had. M was ashamed of her weakness and she'd rather die than live with the humiliation of running while the others stood their ground. That was the moment when she realized what it meant to be an X-Man and she forced herself to her feet.

**Jean Grey School**

**Dallas Texas**

"Hank! What's happening?!" Ororo as she and the other X-Men joined him in the operations room on the third sub-level.

"There's been some sort of cyber-attack." Hank answered. "A virus knocked out our defense systems and tried to access Cerebro before Kitty broke our connection and locked down the system." He told her. "Whatever it is, it's taking over the whole internet." He added.

"It's Nimrod!" Kitty gasped as she analyzed the virus. "It's become software!" She yelled as she phased through the console, destroying it and the Nimrod virus. "Our Shiar computers didn't agree with it. I killed it while it was still isolated, but I took out the whole defense grid." She explained.

"This is bad." Forge said as he rebooted the rest of the systems and scanned the area. "We've got a flight of sentinels coming in from the north…they're headed right for us." He told them.

"Without the defense systems, they could wipe us out." Hank said.

"We have to protect the students and buy X-Force more time." Ororo said as she watched the sentinels approaching. They knew the team had found what they were looking for in the Adirondacks, but it was obvious something had gone horribly wrong.

"Danielle! Take Paige and Jubilation with you, get the students and staff into the Danger Room, they'll be safe there!" She ordered. "Sharon, you and Annie protect Laura and Xian. Jonathan, you and Katherine do what you can to defend the mansion.  They rest of you suit up, we're going to fight them." She said.

"We can have the defense shield up in a few minutes." Forge told her. "It's connected to separate systems with a backup power supply." He explained as he and Kitty set to work. Danielle, Paige and Jubilee raced off to round up the students as the others headed for the armory.

"You're coming too Dr. Bradley?" Ororo asked as he joined them.

"My dear headmistress, what is the point of building a laser Gatling gun if you never use it to melt evil robots?" He asked snidely.

**Aboard the PACRAT**

**Adirondack Mountains**

"How is she Doc?" Mike asked as Dr. Reyes examined Rahne's injuries.

"It's bad, but she's tough, I think she’ll be ok if we can get her back to school." Dr. Reyes reassured him as she finished her scan. She'd suffered an awful shock to her system from Karima's sonic attack and both her ears were bleeding. Fortunately, Mike had saved her before she’d suffered brain damage and she should be healed after a few hours in the healing pod.

"What about Karima?" He asked.

"I don't know." Dr. Reyes answered. "Her vitals are stable, but we'll have to wait for Hank and Forge to examine her to know for sure."

"Do what you can for her Doc." Mike said as he ripped down some of the cargo netting to make a sling for his arm. "Kurt, gimme a hand here, we gotta get back in there!" He said.

"Damn it Mike this is insane!" Dr. Reyes yelled. 

"This is what I do!" Mike shot back.  The world was about to end and he didn’t really see the point of worrying about his health now.

"Doc! We've got wounded!" Neena shouted as she and Tessa scrambled up the ramp carrying Monet and Deadpool followed with Bishop. They were both badly injured and Dr. Reyes had her hands full since Rahne was unconscious. Fortunately Tessa had medical training as well and she could help treat their injuries.

"He's got a collapsed lung and she's got a ruptured spleen!" Dr. Reyes said as she examined them. The PACRAT wasn't as fast as the Blackbird, but it came equipped with sophisticated medical equipment since it had to serve as a mobile HQ during the war.

"Oh God…it hurts so much…" Monet cried as she writhed in pain.

"I know Monet." Dr. Reyes said, trying to comfort her. "This will help, now I need you to calm down before you go into shock." She said.

"What's that you're giving her?" Tessa asked as Dr. Reyes gave Monet and injection.

"An injection of medical nanites that Hank created." Dr. Reyes explained. "They should help slow her bleeding until we can get her into surgery." She said.

"We're going to have to do surgery on Bishop now, or he won't make it." Dr. Reyes said. He was in really bad shape, but they should be able to stabilize him for the short flight back to the institute. Tessa was a skilled battlefield medic and Dr. Reyes had spent the war at SHIELD’s forward operating base beneath Manhattan saving the lives of hundreds of civilians and soldiers despite the terrible conditions.

"Hang on Bishop." Dr. Reyes said as strapped an oxygen mask to his face and prepared to put him under.

"Domino, where are th’ others?!" Mike asked as he shot himself full of painkiller.

"Terry sent Cable after Cypher! They're going in to save Sam and kill Nimrod! The damn things trying to hack SHIELD and launch their nukes!" Neena explained. "Get this thing ready to fly Kurt! If we make it through this, then we’ve gotta fly. Ironman’s trying to fight his way in on the other side of the mountain!" She yelled as he teleported to the cockpit and she kicked open the ammo crate and began to reload the weapons.  The sentinels were about to overrun them when he’d showed up and drawn them away to defend the front entrance.

"Mike!" Deadpool yelled as he teleported next to him. "Dude! You look like shit and coming from me, that's pretty bad." Deadpool told him.

"Shut up and help me you jackass!" Mike snapped as he glared at the annoying mercenary. Wade Wilson, aka Deadpool wasn't called the "merc with the mouth" for nothing and he always got on Mike's last nerve.

"Aw Mike, you still pissed about what happened at Chaparanga Beach?" Deadpool asked as he strapped Mike's broken arm to his chest using the cargo netting.  _'Well, he nearly got sexually assaulted by the Brood Queen.'_ The manic voice reminded him.

"Damn it Wade! I'm not in th' mood fer yer bullshit right now! I'm worried about my team!" Mike yelled.

"Relax, they'll be fine! They're just one cliffhanger away from kicking Nimrod's ass!" He said, trying to make Mike feel better.

"Life is not a comic book you idiot!" Mike yelled.

"You know, you might be right." Deadpool said as he looked around for a moment. "This really feels more like a mediocre fan fiction."

"Fan Fiction? Really?" Mike asked, incredulously.

"Yeah, you're pretty much a dead giveaway, but Tabitha's not an idiot, Sam's got his balls back, Dani's not perfect and Rahne has morals and self-respect again. Soooo, unless we hit a time warp and went back to the nineties, there's no way this can be a comic book." He explained.

"Yer're insane." Mike said bluntly.

"I'm serious! Your friends are a real shitshow in the comics!" Deadpool exclaimed. "God's favorite werewolf here is a deranged sex predator who kissed Josh and pity fucked Richter before she ate her psycho dad and fornicated with a wolf god. Then she fought over her gay ex-boyfriend with a guy who's his own grandfather and after that she barfed up a plot device who got shish kabobbed by Guido. Later on she and Dani got space herpes from Warlock before she finally got snuffed by four frat boys because some hack wanted to virtue signal to trans people!" He said pointing at Rahne lying unconscious in the medical bay.

"Wade! That’s th’ most fucked up thing I’ve ever heard!" Mike exclaimed.

"I know right?!" Deadpool said laughing manically. "Hey, if it makes you feel any better, the others aren’t quite so messed up, except your buddy Tabitha. She’s a dumb blonde stereotype who's so stupid Forbush Man's powers won't work on her!" Wade said.

"Shut up before I shoot you in th' ass!" Mike yelled.

"Shut your yap and help me with this cannon Wade!" Neena snapped as she rigged a three point sling on Wrath's rifle so he could aim and reload with one hand. Siryn had ordered them to stay with M and Bishop, but she wasn't about to sit there while the others were killed by the sentinels.

"You tryin' to compensate for something Mike?" Deadpool asked as he helped Wrath with his massive assault rifle.

"I'm not th' one who has a solid gold gun that shoots diamond bullets." Wrath pointing at the ridiculous looking gun Deadpool had stuffed in the waistband of his costume. "Now shut th' hell up and get us back in there!" He yelled as they teleported back into the base.

**Jean Grey School**

**Dallas Texas**

_"Storm! I'm tracking two Mark VI Devastators coming in fast from the southeast!"_  Forge said as an energy shield formed over the mansion and a flight of Mark I sentinels landed on the north lawn. The incoming advanced models had thicker armor and more deadly firepower than the Mark II sentinels and now the team was in real trouble.

"I'll take them myself!" Storm said as rose into the air, propelled aloft by a violent whirlwind. "Emma! You and Iceman lead the attack! Beast, you and Northstar back them up! Don't let them onto the school grounds! Nemesis! If anything gets past us, you turn it to ash!" She ordered as the team tore into the sentinels.

 _"Storm! I've got the kids secure!"_  Mirage yelled over the radio.  _"We're on our way out to help you!"_  She said.

 _"Hurry, we're being overwhelmed!"_  Storm yelled.

 _"Ro! You've got to take out those big boys or we're in a world of hurt down here! They're packing one megaton laser cannons! I don't know if the shield can take too many hits like that!"_  Forge said as he broke in on the conversation. As CEO of Forge Industries and one of the longest serving X-Men; he'd designed all the schools defense systems including the new energy shield.

 _"It won't have too."_  Storm said as she unleashed her power, summoning a massive storm high above the school. The sentinels were suddenly struck by hurricane force winds sending them smashing into each other above White Rock Lake.

 _"They're not coming any closer!"_  She yelled as she incinerated the robots with massive bolts of lightning, sending them crashing into White Rock Lake as the X-Men charged into battle.

**Trask Industries Black Site**

**-Research and Development Lab-**

"Cyclops! Now!" Cannonball yelled as he plowed into the Prowler and unleashed all his power in single devastating punch that crushed the machine's armored hull and sent it crashing into the wall. Cyclops removed his visor and blasted the killer robot with the full power of his optic blasts as the roof gave way, burying the machine under tons of rock.

"I think we got him" Cyclops said as he replaced his visor.

"Yeah, nice shootin'." Cannonball said as he collapsed next to Cyclops, choking on the dust and smoke from the blast and the cave in. They'd taken out half of the R & D Lab and nearly buried the whole place in rubble, but they'd finally destroyed the Prowler.

"Come on Sam, lets finish this." He said as he reached down and helped Cannonball to his feet.

"Mutant detected!" A menacing robotic voice said as a sinister pair of red eyes became visible through the dust and smoke. Nimrod had activated the Master Mold unit responsible for maintaining the base and building the sentinel army if Apocalypse had won the war. This sentinel wasn't equipped with many weapons, but it was heavily armored and more than capable of slowing them down long enough for Nimrod to finish hacking SHIELD's defense systems.

"Run Sam! I'll hold it off!" Cyclops yelled.

"You can't take it alone!" Cannonball said as he stood his ground. Cyclops was wounded and Cannonball was almost out of energy, their only hope was to face it together.

"Blast him Cyclops!" Wolverine yelled as he leaped onto the sentinels back and rammed his claws into its neck. Cyclops unleashed a devastating optic blast at the sentinel's head as Cannonball blasted it with his remaining power. Master Mold's head exploded and the murderous machine collapsed in a smoking ruin.

"Logan, where are th' others?!" Cannonball asked.

"They're going after Nimrod! It's trying to hack SHIELD and launch their nukes!" He yelled as they all ran for the Control Center. Nimrod was still jamming their communications and they didn't know if the others had made it through or not.

**The Triskelion**

**Washington** **DC**

_"Vision! I could use some good news right now!"_  Falcon yelled as he streaked across the sky, dodging sentinel energy blasts as he strafed the attacking robots. As strong as the Avengers were, they were being overwhelmed; there were just too many sentinels.

 _"I have none to give! We cannot stop Nimrod! It is too powerful!"_  Vision yelled as he and FRIDAY fought to slow Nimrod's attack on the system. Nimrod was trying to overwrite their artificial intelligence and soon they'd both have to disengage or they'd be corrupted and controlled.

"Avengers! Fall back to the command center!" Falcon ordered.

"Look out!" Power Man yelled as one of the sentinels turned and blasted Falcon out of the sky.

"I gottcha!" Silk said as she saved him at the last second with her webbing. His jet pack and wings were ruined and he was unconscious from the force of the blow. The sentinel took aim at them again, but it was suddenly blown apart by laser fire as Dark Hawk, Captain Marvel and a squad of SWORD agents swooped in to save them.

“Everybody relax, I’m here!” Captain Marvel yelled as she tore through the sentinels, blasting them to pieces.

"Cindy! Get him inside! I'll hold 'em off!" Dark Hawk yelled as he opened fire on the sentinels with his Shiar weaponry. He and the SWORD agents could help buy the Avengers and SHIELD a little more time, but if the Alpha Team didn't find a way to stop Nimrod quickly, they were all dead even with the aid of his supercharged commander.

**Trask Industries Black Site**

**-Main Assembly Area-**

"Take cover! We're surrounded!" Cable yelled as he opened fire on the new group of sentinels and Boomer, Cypher, Warpath and Siryn scrambled for cover. The Control Center was so close, but they'd never survive long enough to reach it and they were running out of time.

"Target identified! Cable! Capture for dissection!" Nimrod commanded as the killer machines scanned Cable. His cybernetic parts would advance Nimrod's research and technology by hundreds of years and allow it to build sentinels better capable of fighting the alien races.

"Cable!" Boomer yelled as a Nimrod unit destroyed his plasma cannon and blew off his cybernetic arm. He was horribly wounded and completely helpless as the deadly machine stalked toward him. She hated him for what he'd done to Wolfsbane during the war, but she'd never leave anyone behind and she had to save him.

"Boomer…run." Cable gasped as she leaped in front of him and blasted the sentinel with all the power she had left.

"I'm not leaving you!" She yelled as she grabbed the strap on his armor vest and tried to drag him behind cover. Boomer was strong, but Cable weighed over 300lbs and she was too weak from her injuries to move him.

"Get down!" Cannonball yelled as he swooped in and blasted straight through the sentinel's chest like a missile. He grabbed Cable and Boomer and dragged them both behind a huge metal stamping machine where Cypher was hiding as the sentinels continued to fire at them.

"Oh God yer're shot!" Sam gasped.

"I'll live." She said trying to reassure him.

"Who th' hell is this?!" He asked as he noticed Cypher cowering next to them. He was about 5’9” and he had light blonde hair and blue eyes like Tabitha.

"This is Cypher! You've got get him to the Control Center!" Boomer explained. "He's our only chance to stop this!" She said. Cannonball's blast field made him invulnerable and he was their only chance. They were surrounded and Cypher was so scared that he couldn't move. He knew the whole world was depending on him, but he'd experienced anything like this and it was beyond terrifying.

"Go Sam! We'll hold 'em off!" Siryn yelled as Wrath, Deadpool and Domino teleported into the battle and unleashed a devastating barrage of fire on the remaining sentinels.

"Come on!" Cannonball yelled as he grabbed Cypher and flew through the doors to the Control Center as the battled raged behind them.

"Target identified! Cypher! All units attack!" Nimrod disembodied voice said as they entered the control center.

"How does it know you?!" Cannonball asked.

"I don’t know!" Cypher yelled as he accessed Nimrod's memory core and merged his consciousness with it. _'You can’t kill me, you've lost.10101010100111010._  Cypher thought as Nimrod's cold mechanical mind tried to overwhelm him.  _'I see the numbers, I see the pattern...I know how to kill you now.010111010101010._  He thought as he forced the artificial intelligence to submit.

"Hurry up Cypher! Th' others can't hold 'em off much longer!" Cannonball yelled.

"Gimme a second Cannonball! This thing is software now! It's trying to take over the whole internet!" Cypher yelled. He'd been able to learn Nimrods programming language now that he had direct access to the core, but it had spread so far into the internet that he was having trouble keeping up with it. He had to eradicate every trace of Nimrod; if just part of its A.I. survived, it could rebuild itself again.

"We don't have a second!" Cannonball exclaimed as he looked around the room at the various monitors. SHIELD and the Avengers were under siege by sentinels and the helicarriers were positioned for a nuclear strike; the world was seconds away from Armageddon.

"Time to end this Nimrod!" _1010100110100100011111000011000110._  Cypher said coldly as he destroyed the Nimrod artificial intelligence, purging it from the internet and all of existence. The sentinels instantly deactivated as the helicarriers came back online and the whole world breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"That was too close." Cannonball said as he tried to catch his breath.

"Yeah…thanks Sam, I never would have made it without you." Cypher admitted as he tried to regain his composure. He felt like he was about to have a heart attack and he had never been more impressed with the other's bravery than he was now.

"You really came through fer us this time Cypher." Cannonball said.

"Terry's the real hero. I was ready to give up, but she just wouldn't quit." He told him. "She pulled us together when it hit the fan; she saved the mission."

"That's why I put her on th' assault team." Cannonball said.

 _"Cannonball! We need to leave now!"_  Siryn said as their communication network came back online.  _"Night Crawler says we've got Avengers headed our way!"_ She said.

 _"Get th' wounded back to th' PACRAT! We're right behind you!"_  Cannonball ordered.

"Wait Sam, there's something I have to do." Cypher said.

"Cypher we've got to get out of here!" Cannonball said.

"Not before we make Trask pay." Cypher said. "Thanks to this tech I'm now on every screen, everywhere and I'm going to tell the world the truth." He said as his avatar appeared on every tablet, smart phone and computer screen. "I just dumped all Trask's dirty secrets on the internet." Cypher said as he finished the download. "Their illegal weapons manufacturing and their collusion with RIGHT.  The kidnapping and the human experimentation; all the  ** _really_**  interesting stuff." He said.

"Good, now blow this place to hell and let's go home." Cannonball ordered.

"Gladly." Cypher said as he disabled the safety programs and set the generators to overload.

**Helicarrier Pericles**

**En Route to Trask Industries Black Site**

"You cut that a little close Stark." Commander Hill said sarcastically as she disarmed the auto destruct sequence with only five seconds to spare. She felt like she was about to throw up, but she kept her composure in front of her troops and the Avengers.

"That wasn’t me Hill. I couldn’t get past the front door there were so many sentinels." Tony said as he flew toward the helicarrier. His armor was heavily damaged and he’d just barely escaped the explosion when Cypher overloaded the base’s generators.   

"Then…"

"Yeah, your _mutant terrorists_ again." Tony said as he landed on the deck. "They broke into a base full of sentinels, killed Nimrod, dumped all Trask’s dirty secrets and then blew the base to hell before I could even get a look at them. You either need to kill these guys or put them on the payroll." He said.

“There’s nothing left.” Agent Johnson exclaimed as the scanners came back online.  They were still thirty miles from the base, but the scanners showed a huge cloud of smoke rising out of the mountain. The blast had registered 4.0 on the Richter scale and people as far away as Montreal had felt the tremor.

"Captain Rogers, take a Ranger team out there and recon the site." Cmdr. Hill ordered. "Open a channel back to HQ." She told the communications officer.

"Channel open ma'am." She replied.

"How bad is it?" She asked as Mocking Bird appeared on the main view screen.

"The other helicarriers are fine Commander, but The Triskelion got hit hard." Mocking Bird told her. "We're still assessing the damage, but we lost some good agents today and the Omega Team is in rough shape right now." She said. "We're still getting reports in, but we know the X-Men were hit and we're trying to reestablish contact with Alpha Flight and Winter Guard."

"Understood, we'll be underway as soon as Captain Rogers returns." She said despondently.

**Jean Grey School**

**Dallas Texas**

"Jean-Paul!" Ororo exclaimed as she swooped down and landed next to him. He was horribly wounded and Hank was trying desperately to stop the bleeding.  _"Annie! Jean-Paul is hurt! We need you and Sharon out here now!"_ She yelled into the radio.

"Stay with me Jean-Paul!" Hank yelled. "Don't go to sleep on me!" He yelled as Jean-Paul started to go into shock. He'd used his super speed to save Hank from being blasted by a sentinel, but he'd ended up taking the shot himself.

"I can't…I can't feel my legs Hank…" He gasped.

"Hold still." Dr. Nemesis ordered as he gave Jean-Paul and injection of the medical nanites Hank had created. They couldn't repair the damage to his spine, but they would stop him from bleeding to death before they could get him into the operating room.

 _"Ororo, I just heard from X-Force."_  Kitty said over the radio.  _"They're on their way home. Bishop and Monet are going to need surgery as soon as they land. Cable, Tabitha, Mike, Rahne and Scott all need to go the pods."_  She told her.

 _"Did they find any of the children?"_  Ororo asked.

 _"Yeah, they've got two onboard."_  Kitty said.  _"The girl is in really bad shape; they experimented on her so Forge is getting his lab ready now."_ She explained.  _"Kurt said the boy was fine, physically, but he's really traumatized by what he saw."_

"Sharon, you'll have to help Hank with Jean-Paul." Ororo told her as she and Annie arrived to help move him. "Annie, you go with Dr. Nemesis and Tessa can help Cecelia." She explained. "Danielle, I'll need you and David to help me get the others into the pods when they arrive." She said. They didn't have enough staff to deal with this many injured and if it weren't for the Shiar healing pods, they'd be in real trouble.

"I'll see to the boy." Emma said as she returned to her natural form.

"Ro…Hank can fix him, can't he?" Bobby asked as he and Danielle watched them carry Jean-Paul back to the mansion.

"I don't know Robert. I'm worried too, but right now we have to help the others." She said. "I need you to help Paige and Jubilation take care of the students while we treat the others; we're going to be very busy." She said as they followed the others inside.

**Aboard the PACRAT**

**En Route to The Jean Grey School**

"Doc, is she gonna be alright?" Sam asked as he sat beside Tabitha holding her hand while Dr. Reyes cleaned and treated her wounds. It was tearing him apart inside to see her hurt like this and he wished there was something more he could do for her. Despite the pain, Tabitha felt better with Sam there to comfort her and she was relieved that Rahne and the others had survived the mission.

"She's lost a lot of blood Sam, but she should make a full recovery once we get her in the pod." Dr. Reyes said, trying to reassure both of them.

"What about th' others?" Sam asked as he looked around the cabin at all the wounded members of X-Force and the X-Men. Rahne was seriously injured and still unconscious and Mike had finally passed out from pushing himself so hard and taking too much painkiller. Scott had been seriously hurt by the last wave of sentinels and Cable was badly burned. He had lost his cybernetic arm and he had third degree plasma burns from his rifle exploding, but his armor had saved his life. Monet was in terrible pain from her broken ribs and a ruptured spleen, but the nanites had done their job and she was no longer in danger of bleeding out. Bishop was the most serious; he had multiple broken ribs, bullet wounds and a collapsed lung but Dr. Reyes had stabilized him and Tessa was monitoring his condition.

"They're all going to pull through, we got lucky this time." Dr. Reyes answered.

"What about Karima?" Sam asked.

"It looks like her systems are in "stand by" mode." Cypher said as he examined her with the onboard medical scanner. "I can deactivate the cybernetic brain implants and erase her sentinel programming." He said. "Without that program her nanomorphic tissue should behave just like natural human tissue and we shouldn't have to worry about her going all "Terminator Genisys" on us again." He explained.

"Terry, how's he doin'?" Sam asked. Theresa and James were trying their best to comfort Eddie. He'd been trapped in Dr. Animus's horrible lab for a week waiting his turn as the mad scientist's attempts to create a machine/human hybrid failed and he was still so frightened he could hardly breathe. Theresa gave Sam a pained look that told him what he already knew; Eddie was completely broken and he might not ever fully recover from the trauma he'd endured.

"What about you?" Sam asked after a moment.

"I'll be alright Sam." Theresa sighed as she leaned back against James' chest and he put his arm around her. "We all came home and as far as I know, nobody's scarred fer life. I think I can live with that." She said. She wasn't going to give in to guilt and depression again and this time she was going to lean on James for strength and comfort instead drinking.

"Well I plan on drinking profusely!" Wade said.  "Who else wants to go to a bar and get shit faced when we land?" He asked.

"I'm in." Neena said.

"We gotta deal with these assholes first." Logan said; pointing to Dr. Animus and the guard captain Kurt had spared.

"What the hell Logan?" Wade asked. "Just let me put a round in 'em! Its beer o'clock!"

"No! Have Emma mind wipe them and drop them off at SHIELD." Scott said.

"You better pay me extra for this bullshit Summers!" Wade grumbled.

**Jean Grey School**

**Main** **Medical Bay**

**-Several Hours Later-**

"Any word yet?" Paige asked. Her brother, the rest of X-Force and Kurt were still waiting in the Medical Bay for some word on Karima's condition. Ororo had brought her parents down to speak with Forge and Cypher, but they still hadn't heard anything and they were getting worried despite Cypher's assurance that he could erase her programming. Everyone was concerned about Jean-Paul as well and they were all afraid he'd be paralyzed for the rest of his life.

"Nothin'." Sam answered as he sat with Tabitha. They were all physically exhausted and emotionally drained after the battle, but they were all praying for good news about Karima and they weren't leaving until they heard something. Paige was touched by their concern for her and she was so proud of all of them for saving the world from annihilation. She hoped this mission would help to change the other X-Men's minds about her brother and his team, because as far as she was concerned they'd  _always_  been heroes.

"A lot of th' kids are askin' about you." Paige said as she sat down next to Rahne and Mike to wait.

"Ye can tell them Ah'm fine, Ah jus' need time tae sleep off this headache." Rahne sighed as she snuggled close to Mike, resting her head on his shoulder. It felt like the mother of all hangovers; her head was pounding, the lights were killing her and every sound seemed to be amplified. The Shiar pods were wonderful, but they still had their limitations and as Mike had discovered the day before, there were still aches and pains associated with healing. His arm and shoulder still ached from the brutal injuries he'd suffered and The pods couldn’t do anything about the injuries to his back received in the war.

"How 'bout th' rest of ya'll?" Paige asked.

"We're fine." Theresa said hoarsely. She barely had any voice left after using her powers so much, but she'd come through the battle otherwise unscathed. James and Sam were bruised and sore, but they'd be fine. Tabitha and Mike were still in pain like Rahne, but they'd be fine in a few days and she felt better with Sam there to comfort her.

"Damn this sucks." James said. "What the hell is taking so long?"

"Micro surgery can't be rushed." Hank said as he and Cecelia emerged from the Intensive Care Unit. They were both completely exhausted, but the wounded X-Men were all stable and recovering in the Shiar healing pods after surgery.

"So how'd it go?" Sam asked, unsure if he really wanted to hear the answer.

"We were able to repair most of the damage to Jean-Paul's spine thanks to some rather unconventional medicine from Dr. Bradley, but I'm afraid he has a very long and painful recovery ahead of him and he’ll never fight again." Hank said.

"I guess that's th' best we can hope fer." Paige said as everyone breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll go tell his squad." She said as she headed back upstairs. Jean-Paul was exceedingly arrogant, but he was a part of the X-Family and they were all relieved that he wouldn’t be paralyzed for life.

"How are the others?" Theresa asked after a moment.

"They're fine." Dr. Reyes told her. "Monet should be healed by tomorrow morning and Bishop and Cable by tomorrow afternoon." She said.

"So what about Karima?" Mike asked.

"That's a bit of a delicate matter." Hank said. "Physically she's fine, but her psychological recovery is going to take much longer." He explained. "Your telepathic attack wiped out her memory of the entire ordeal; she doesn't remember anything after leaving class on the day of her abduction." He said. "We've explained everything to her parents, but given the nature of her condition we haven't told her what happened yet." He explained.

"How can she not know?" Tabitha asked.

"The nanomorphic tissue perfectly mimics natural human flesh until the sentinel program activates the nanites." Hank explained. "Fortunately, Cypher erased the sentinel program and Forge has deactivated the cybernetic brain implants so she'll never have to experience the horror of that transformation again." He told them.

"Yer're  ** _sure_**  I wiped her memories?" Mike asked.

"Emma is the world’s most powerful psychic now and she's assured me that her memories have been erased, not merely suppressed." Hank said, trying to reassure him. Mike was one of the most skilled members of SHIELD's Pis-Ops division and he knew the psychological devastation that suppressed traumatic memories could cause when they resurfaced.

"We cannae tell th' students. They'll be scared tae death of her; ye've seen how awful they are tae poor Laura." Rahne sniffed as she wiped her eyes and Mike held her a little closer. She'd been treated like a monster once her powers manifested and she couldn't bear the thought of Karima facing the same torment she had.

"We're not going to tell them Rahne." Hank said, trying to reassure her. "Ororo has promised to keep what happened a secret and she's promised the Shapandar's the full support of the school to help Karima recover." He said.

"Ah jus' wish we could have gotten there sooner." Rahne said.

"I know, but her parents are just thankful she's alive and they asked me to thank all of you. They're with her now and they're good people; they love her and they'll help her get through this, we all will." Hank told them.

"You can't save everyone Rahne, be thankful for the lives you get to make a difference in and give the rest to God." Dr. Reyes said. "You'd all do well to remember that; especially  **you**." She said as she looked up at Mike.

"Thanks Doc; I'll try." Mike said quietly as they hugged each other. Mike made her angry sometimes, but they'd become friends during the war and now she hoped he could find some peace as she had. She'd always been impressed by Rahne and she was glad that she and Mike were apparently a couple now.

"Hey guys, did you wait around to tell me how awesome I am?" Cypher asked smugly as he walked out of Forge's lab. He felt like a real hero after killing Nimrod despite the fact he'd wanted to leave Karima and abandon Sam and Scott.

"There's nothing awesome about you Cypher." Tabitha said coldly.

"Tha's fer tellin' us tae leave Karima!" Rahne snapped as she punched him in the gut so hard she knocked him down. The pain she'd seen in that poor girl’s eyes made Rahne's heart ache and Cypher's arrogance infuriated her.

"I guess…I deserved that." Cypher gasped as he lay there doubled over in pain, trying to catch his breath. He may have killed Nimrod, but he'd more than earned that punch with his cruel words to Karima. Rahne was tiny, but she was incredibly strong and Cypher felt like he'd been hit by a truck.

"Damn right you did, and if yer're gonna be a part of this team from here on out, then ya better understand one thing; we don't leave  ** _anyone_**  behind, **EVER**." Sam said angrily.

"Get up you wimp; that was just a love tap." James said as he reached down and snatched Cypher back up to his feet. He'd never really liked him and seeing him get taken down a peg by Rahne was a perfect way to end the day.

"You're right…I'm sorry, it won't happen again." Cypher apologized as everyone gave him disdainful looks. He still thought he was right; Karima  **had**  activated and she'd nearly killed everyone, but Mike had saved her and he knew better than to say one more word about it. He'd just gotten a healthy dose of reality to remind him he was nothing like his teammates.

"Well then, don't ye think it’s time ye introduced yerself  _Cypher_?" Theresa asked.

"Not much point in trying to keep secrets now, is there?" Cypher asked. "My real name's Doug Ramsey." He admitted.

"Why do ye seem familiar?" Rahne asked as she leaned closer and sniffed him. She never forgot a scent and she was sure they'd met before but she couldn't remember where.

"God, you’re weird." Doug said as he backed away.  He’d always been revolted by “ugly” mutants and he was really disturbed by the way Rahne turned into an animal.  He couldn’t understand why Mike was clearly so attracted to her and he’d decided he must be some kind of pervert.

"Ye used tae date Kitty, didn't ye?" Rahne asked. She'd met him once, briefly, when she was dating Wesley and they'd run into Kitty and Doug at the theater. He hadn't made much of an impression on her at the time and she didn't even remember his name.

"We went out a few times, but we weren't serious." Doug said. Truthfully, he still regretted breaking up with Kitty, but he'd discovered she was a member of the X-Men and he knew she'd never approve of his actions if she ever learned he was the infamous hacktivist, Cypher.

"So where you livin’ now?" Sam asked.

"San Freaksico." Doug said sarcastically.  “We moved out there to stay with my weird aunt when the war started.” He explained.

“I figured you’d be right at home in that liberal utopia.” Mike said sarcastically.

“I may be liberal, but I don’t like shit and dirty needles in the street any more than you do.” Doug said. “I can’t leave though; my parents need help getting back on their feet.”

"We'll take him home Sam, ye need to rest." Theresa said as Sam gave her an appreciative look. He and Tabitha really needed some time alone together to comfort each other after all they'd been through.

**Sub-Level 1**

"You want to go out to eat after we drop Doug off?" James asked as he, Theresa and Doug walked out of the medical bay and headed back to the hangar. Theresa smiled and nodded; dinner and a quiet walk down by the lake would certainly make her feel better. The past few days had really taken their toll on everyone and no matter how tough you are; sometimes you just need to be held by someone who loves you. She knew Tabitha was probably deep in a bubble bath with Sam by now and she hoped that Mike would honor his promise to always put Rahne first and take care of her now that she was feeling so bad.

"You guys seen the news yet?" Bobby asked as he met them in the hallway.

"No, but let me guess, we're  _terrorists_  and it's all our fault." James said sarcastically.

"Actually, it's Senator Kelly's fault." Bobby told them. "He was the biggest supporter of Trask and the sentinels and it looks like he's going be indicted." He said. While there were other people who shared his views, he'd made enemies on both sides of the aisle so it looked like he was finished.

"Good, he can share a cell with Larry Trask." James said.

"It gets better." Bobby told them. "They're shutting down Trask's weapons development division permanently and they're scrapping **_all_** the sentinels." He explained.

"Something actually went right for us?" James asked.

"Yeah, much as I hate to admit it, you guys  _were_  right." Bobby said.

"This wasn't about who was  _"right"_ Bobby." Theresa choked out. "It was about protecting the kids, so ye can save yer half-ass apology fer  **them**." She said.

"You're an asshole." James said bluntly. "Come on, Terry let’s get out of here before Kitty shows up and we have to deal with all  _that_  drama too." He said as they walked away. Doug thought that sounded like a great idea, he really didn't want to deal with an angry ex-girlfriend after he'd already been laid out by an angry wolf-girl.

**Rahne's Room**

"Thank ye Mike; tha' feels better." Rahne sighed as he used his telepathy to help ease her pain. He wasn't the most powerful psychic, but he was highly skilled and he was glad Rahne trusted him enough to let him comfort her this way.  He had linked their minds so that he felt most of the pain of her injuries so she could sleep and recover. It was pretty rough, but he was used to dealing with the chronic pain of his war injuries and he could take it.

"It's my turn to take care of you now." He said as they snuggled together in her bed. He was still ashamed of how selfish he'd been the day before, but he was done feeling sorry for himself and all he wanted now was to make her feel better.  Rahne felt a little guilty, but she could see how important this was to him so she’d allowed it.

"Jus' hold me." Rahne said as they shared their first kiss. Their relationship was moving pretty fast, but it felt right to Rahne and she knew Mike was sincere in his commitment to her.

"Who is it?" Mike grumbled as a knock at the door shattered their intimate moment.

"Oh geez, I'm so sorry. I didn't know you had company." Megan stammered as she cracked the door and peeked in at them. "I was just so worried; they said you got hurt really bad…" She said as tears started to run down her cheeks.

"Ah did, but Ah'm ok now Meg. Ah've jus' got a nasty headache." Rahne said as she sat up and motioned for her to come sit beside her. Mike really couldn’t be mad at her; he knew she hadn't meant to interrupt them and it was obvious she really loved Rahne and looked up to her.

"See?! She's fine! Just like Paige said." Noriko hissed as she opened the door and glared at Megan. She was the sweetest girl Noriko had ever met, but sometimes it was _really_ annoying.

"You're right. I'm sorry, I'll leave you two alone now." She said, turning red as a beet.

"She means well." Noriko sighed as Megan headed back to their room down the hall.

"Ah know." Rahne said. She tried not to have favorites among the students, but she loved Megan the most and their relationship was special.

"I'm glad you guys are ok too." Noriko told them.

"Thanks, Nori." Mike said.

"We'll let you two get back to doing  _whatever_  it is superheroes do after they save the world." Noriko said as she gave them a wink and turned to leave.

"Cry and have nightmares fer a week?" Rahne asked as Noriko rolled her eyes.

"What do  **you**  want?!" Noriko asked angrily as she almost bumped into Logan. She was still furious that he'd attacked Mike yesterday and she was more than ready to blast him if he tried to hurt her friend again.

"Back off kid, I'm not here to fight." Logan told her.

"It's ok Nori, we're over it now." Mike said.

"Fine." Noriko said as she pushed her way past Logan and went back to her room.

"She hates you." Mike told him.

"I can tell." Logan said.

"I'm not exactly thrilled to see you either." Mike said. "What do you want?"

"You need to talk to Laura." Logan said.

"Did I give you brain damage yesterday?" Mike asked. Logan had made it pretty clear that he didn't want him involved in Laura's life anymore and this was completely unexpected. Logan was still angry with him, but he was a part of Laura's life whether he liked it or not and now she cared about him.

"No,  ** _she_** asked to see you when she woke up." Logan told him. "She knows what you did for her and she's grateful. I think she finally realizes her life has value now because of what you did." He explained.

"Have you told her about yesterday?" Mike asked as he sat up and leaned against the headboard of Rahne's bed. He didn't like Logan and he never would, but it was past time to let go of the past and he knew what he had to do.

"Yeah, she was confused. She's not good with emotions." Logan told him.

"She gets that from you." Mike said as Logan scowled at him. "Listen, I was out of line in Med Bay yesterday. Yer're th' only one who  _really_  understands what Laura's been through…what she's goin' through…so I shouldn't have tried t' tell you what's best fer her." Mike admitted. Logan had to admit he was impressed; Mike hated to admit he was wrong even more than he did and after all the animosity between them he knew how hard that must have been for him.

"I  **am**  a horrible father…I should have listened to her." Logan admitted grudgingly as he leaned against the door frame. Laura had apologized for disobeying him, but she'd made her desire to save others perfectly clear and Logan told her he'd respect her decision. He had to accept that her life would never be normal, but it didn't have to be like his either; he could help her realize her dreams and keep her from falling into darkness.

"She doesn't have to end up like you Logan; you can help her be the hero she wants to be." Mike said.

"I'm adopting her Mike; I'm going to give her a life and a family besides the X-Men." Logan said. His fight with Mike had made him realize that he wasn't just caring for her out of a sense of guilt anymore; he was growing to love her and think of her as his child. Mike didn't know if Logan could  _really_  be the father Laura needed, but it was clear there was nothing more important to him now than her.

"This thing between us…it's been goin' on a long time." Mike said. "I'm tired of fighting and I'm tired of hating you. I just want to help Laura if you'll let me." He said. Mike was putting Laura's well-being ahead of his pride and Logan knew he had to do the same. He didn't like Mike and he never would, but Laura wanted both of them in her life and it was time to bury the past and move on.

"I will." Logan said as he lit a cigar and walked away. Mister Sinister had stolen Jean's body after the war in an attempt to harvest her brain for his research. Logan loved Jean, but he realized Laura's wellbeing should have taken precedence over everything else in his life and he should have left that mission to the other X-Men. He could have saved Laura from Sabertooth, but now he'd have to carry the guilt with him for the rest of his life.

"Ah'm proud of ye." Rahne said quietly.

"Her life is hard enough already." Mike said as they got up to go see Laura. He knew how much she loved Logan and he was grateful she would still speak to him after what he'd done the day before.

**Sam and Tabitha's Room**

Sam sighed with contentment as he and Tabitha settled into the tub together surrounded by her favorite scented candles. The hot bath helped relax his sore muscles and he began to feel better now that she was safe in his arms again. There was nothing more important to him than her and the thought that he might have lost her had shaken him to the core. He'd always been thankful that she'd chosen to share her life with him, but seeing her fight through so much pain to save him made him treasure her love even more.

"I love you." He said as he held her a little closer.

"I love you too Sam." She said as she leaned back against his chest. She'd felt like her heart had been ripped out when Cypher told her he was dead, but he was safe now and she wished this tender moment would never end. She'd had such an awful life growing up that she had no idea what a healthy, loving relationship was before she met him and she was so thankful he'd chosen to share his life with her.

"I think it's time we took a vacation." He said after a moment. "We need some time together away from th' team, away from all th' crazy." He told her.

"We do." Tabitha said as she kissed him. She'd watched Jean and Scott's marriage fall apart because of the X-Men, but Sam promised her that he'd never let the team or the mission come between them. Sometimes it was really hard for him to balance his responsibility to the team with his commitment to her, but he always found time for them and she knew she was loved.

**Laura and Cessily's Room**

"You mind if I come in?" Mike asked cautiously as he looked in on Laura. The Shiar pod had completely healed her burns, but she was still weak from her injuries and her healing factor needed a few more days to return to full strength. She'd been released from the medical bay and she was resting in her room with Cessily keeping her company. Cessily didn't know what to think about Mike after that fight the day before, but she knew he couldn't be all bad if Rahne liked him.

"No, I wanted to thank you for yesterday." Laura said. She was glad to see that he and Logan had put their differences aside for her and she realized that Rahne had been right when she told her things would be better. She felt better about her life now that she was being adopted and allowed to fight with the X-Men. She was hurt that Logan and Mike had fought about her since they both loved her, but Ororo explained that they were damaged as well and asked her to try to forgive them.

"Don't scare me like that again." Mike said as he and Rahne sat down on the edge of her bed. He was really upset that she actually thought she deserved to die and go to hell for what she'd done while under the Facility's control.

"That was a stupid thing to do Michael; putting yourself in her power for  _me_." Laura said quietly. "I do not understand why you did that."

"I think you do." Mike told her. "But you don't believe you deserve to be loved by anyone; that yer're not real; that yer're a monster." He said as the tears began to pour down her cheeks. "You listen to me Laura Kinney; I wouldn't risk my life fer you if I didn't  **know**  you were real, and a monster didn't almost die to save those kids." He told her. "You might not put much value on yer life Laura, but yer friends and yer family do. So th' next time you start to think you don't matter; think about what yer death would do to us." Mike said as he reached over and held her hand.

"We love you Laura." Cessily said.

"Don't worry about me, I can handle th' witch." He told her as he, Rahne and Cessily hugged her.

"I have enough to feel guilty for already; I do not want anything to happen to you because of me." She said. Her mother had died and her family had been torn apart trying to protect her. She didn't want anyone else to die because of her and she didn't want Rahne to feel the pain that she did. Rahne had always been kind to her and Laura was beginning to feel a connection to her.

"You've paid fer other people's sins long enough." Mike said. "I didn't save you so you could feel guilty and torture yerself. I want you to have th' life you deserve, with friends and a family who love you. I want you to be happy." He said, remembering Rahne's words to him the night before.

"Thank you." Laura said as she wiped her eyes. "I want to believe I can have a life; that I am not broken."

"They couldn't break you Laura.  After everything they did to you; they couldn't take away yer humanity." He said. "X-23 is a failed experiment; yer're Laura Kinney. Leave that life behind and become who yer're meant to be." Mike said as Rahne sniffed and dried her eyes.

"Ye cannae help th' way ye were brought intae th' world Laura." Rahne said as she hugged her. "It wasn't yer fault; they took everything from ye and ye never had a chance. Ah know wha' tha's like." Rahne said. She felt so bad for Laura because the poor girl  _was_  being forced to pay for the sins of others just as she had been.

"Ah know how scared and alone ye feel; it was th' same fer me after Ah ran away." Rahne admitted. "People said Ah was tae broken tae fix and Ah believed tha' muhself until th' MacTaggarts adopted me. It hasn't been easy, but Ah've got a family who loves me and friends who believe in me and they've helped me take muh life back." She said. "Ye've got a lot of people who love ye and believe in ye Laura and ye can take yer life back jus' like Ah did." She said. Cessily was touched by what they'd said to Laura and she was thankful they cared so much about all of them.

"You're not alone anymore; you have a family and I'm here for you no matter what." Cessily said as she held her close. Laura wasn't used to showing emotion, but she couldn't help crying as she held her friend. She hadn't felt loved since she’d run away from the Nixon family. She thought she'd lost everything, but she realized Cessily was right, she had a family and friends who would love her and help her. She was finally beginning to feel that she deserved to be loved and she was grateful to all of them for believing in her.

"Take care of each other." Rahne said as she and Mike turned to leave.

"I know that wasn't easy, but Laura needed to hear that." Mike said as he and Rahne stepped out into the hallway.

"Ah had a really rough childhood." Rahne admitted. "Ah know wha' it's like tae be told yer're a monster, tae feel unlovable, tae lose hope. Ah'll nae let her face tha' alone." She said as she looked up at him.

"Laura needs good people like you in her life Rahne." Mike said as they held each other close.

"Ah'm no saint." Rahne admitted. "Ah've got a nasty temper when Ah'm mad and Ah get mad tae easily." She sighed. Rahne had overcome most of the emotional problems of her childhood, but she had a short temper, just like Reverend Craig, and she still struggled with it. Reverend Craig may have been responsible for her birth, but she didn't consider him her father and she couldn't stand to be anything like him. She always felt terrible and cried when she got angry and yelled at the others.

"I have a hard time believin' that." Mike said as they held each other. As forgiving and patient as she'd been the night before, it was hard for him to imagine her snapping at people, but he didn't expect her to be perfect. He understood that she still carried emotional scars from her childhood and from the war and he knew from his own experience that some wounds would never fully heal.

"If ye'd seen how awful Ah was tae Dani yesterday, ye wouldnae." Rahne said. Seeing Mike reconcile with Logan made her feel guilty that she still hadn't apologized to Danielle for yelling at her the day before. She was proud of Mike for being the bigger man and she knew she had to be the one to settle things with Danielle. Watching Cessily comfort Laura reminded her of the times Danielle had been there for her, but now she was the one in need and Rahne wasn't going to abandon her.

"Danielle was pretty awful herself." Mike reminded her.

"Ah know." Rahne sighed. "But she's lost and hurt and Ah cannae jus' give up on her." She said as she began to cry. "She was muh best friend growin' up and she was always there fer me." She said as Mike held her. He didn't know exactly what had happened to Danielle, but if Colonel Stryker had been involved he knew it must have been bad. That didn't excuse her actions the day before, but it did help him understand them and he was willing to give her another chance.

"Ah have tae talk her." Rahne said as she dried her tears.

"I know." Mike said. She really needed to rest, but he knew how important this was to her and he wasn't about to try to talk her out of it. He regretted his broken friendship with Melissa and Vance and he prayed Rahne could save her relationship with Danielle.

**The Boathouse**

_'God, please help me to speak to her; I don't want to lose my friend again.'_  Rahne prayed as she saw Danielle standing near the boathouse, looking out toward White Rock Lake. Even at this distance Rahne could tell by her scent how sad Danielle was. Rahne was deeply hurt because she knew she was part of the reason why Danielle felt so terrible. Danielle had been totally out of line yesterday at breakfast, but she shouldn't have answered her so harshly. It broke Rahne's heart to see her so angry and jealous when she had always been so strong and confident growing up.

"Ye better wait here." Rahne said as she turned to Mike.

"Yeah, I'm gonna call home." He said as he pulled his phone out of his pocket.

"Rahne, you should be in bed." Danielle said as Rahne walked up and stood beside her, looking out over the sparkling waters of the lake. She had undressed Rahne and put her into the Shiar pod, so she knew how serious her injuries were. She felt terrible about how she'd treated Rahne after her talk with Ororo and she'd been trying to think of the best way to apologize to her.

"Ah know, but we need tae talk." Rahne said. She still felt awful despite Mike's psychic intervention, but her friendship with Danielle was too important for her to put this off another day.

"Rahne, about yesterday…"

"Dani, please jus' let me say somethin' first." Rahne interrupted. "Ah'm sorry fer wha' Ah said yesterday." She said as she began to cry. "Tha' was a terrible thing tae say, especially after all ye've been through." She said as she wiped a tear off her cheek. "All th' times ye were there fer me, but Ah told ye Ah couldnae deal wit' ye…can ye fergive me Dani?" She asked sorrowfully.

"Rahne don't, it's alright. I was out of line yesterday, I  ** _was_**  talking down to you and I  ** _was_**  a jealous, hateful bitch to Tabitha and Mike." She admitted as she reached over and put her arm around Rahne.

"It's  _nae_  alright." Rahne said. "Friends dinnae jus' give up on each other; Ah love ye Dani." She said she hugged Danielle.

"I love you too Rahne…and I forgive you." Danielle sighed.  Seeing Rahne feeling so guilty and asking for forgiveness made her feel even more ashamed of herself.

"Thank ye." Rahne said as she wiped her eyes.

"Please don't cry anymore." Danielle said as she hugged Rahne. "I'm really sorry about yesterday."

"Ah fergive ye, but Ah want ye tae understand somethin' Dani." Rahne said as she looked up at her. "Ah love Tabby and Ah'm  ** _nae_**  going tae choose between ye. Ah wanted us all tae be friends. Ah still do, but Ah dinnae know if she'll ever trust ye again." Rahne said. "She didnae take anythin' from ye and Ah'm nae going tae let ye treat her like she doesn't belong here." She said.

“Ah’m serious aboot muh relationship wit’ Mike and Ah’m tired of ye and th’ others treating him like he’s nae good enough tae fight wit’ us because he’s a baseline. His bloods jus’ as good as yers and he’s shed enough already tae earn yer respect.” Rahne told her.  Danielle was stung by Rahne's words, even though everything she'd said was true.  Tabitha hadn’t taken anything from her; she didn’t deserve such cruelty and Danielle was genuinely sorry that she’d tried to hurt her.  She still didn’t like Mike and she still thought Rahne was making a terrible mistake, but he was doing more to help mutants right now than she was.

“I said a lot of things I shouldn't have.” Danielle admitted.  “I’m really messed up right now.” She sighed as a tear ran down her cheek.

"Ah can help." Rahne offered. She knew that some wounds never completely heal and she wanted to comfort her friend. She still carried emotional scars from her past life and she knew she always would, but with the love and support of her family and friends, the old wounds didn't hurt so much anymore.

"No, you've been through enough already." Danielle told her. "I had a long talk with Ororo and she's going to help me."

"If tha's wha' ye want." Rahne said. She was hurt that Danielle didn't want to let her help, but she was smart enough to realize part of it had to do with her relationship with Mike. Danielle could deny it all she wanted, but it was obvious she was harboring a lot of resentment because of what Stryker had done and she just wasn't comfortable discussing it with Rahne because of her interspecies relationship.

"It is, it’s better this way Rahne." Danielle said.

"As long as ye get help." Rahne said as she held her close. She knew from her own experience that Danielle wasn't going to get better overnight and that her recovery was going to take a lot of time, patience and love.

"I will." Danielle said. "Now stop worrying about me; you need take care of yourself." She told her. She could see Rahne was in pain and she was glad to see Mike coming to take her home. Rahne had been strong as long as she could, but she was still weak from her injuries and she needed to rest.

"I've got her Danielle." Mike said as he scooped Rahne into his arms. He'd made sure his family was safe so now he could concentrate on her again and she began to feel a little better as he cradled her in his arms. Mike was still a long way from liking Danielle, but he was happy that she and Rahne had begun to make amends.

"Take care of her Mike." Danielle said as he carried Rahne back to her room. She knew their relationship would never be the same as it had been, but she knew Rahne still loved her and she wasn't giving up on her. She wanted to get better for Rahne, her parents and her friends and she was really sorry she'd hurt them all. She'd made a lot of mistakes and she didn't know if she could repair the damage, but she was going to apologize to everyone and do her best to make peace with Tabitha and Mike.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Might be a little while before the next few issues are ready. Thank you for reading.


End file.
